


(Nothing But) Flowers

by Konjiki_no_Yoake



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aggressive Katsuki Yuuri, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assault, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF Yuuri, Blow Jobs, Consensual Underage Sex, Domestic Violence, Established Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Forced Cannibalism, Forced Haircut, Gore, Hiding a Body, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Hostage Situations, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jealous Katsuki Yuuri, Kidnapping, M/M, Murder Husbands, Mutilation, Oral Sex, Parental Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Rape/Non-con Elements, Revenge Murder, Romance, Savior Yuuri, Secret Relationship, Serial Killer Katsuki Yuuri, Sexist Language, Sexual Assault, Slurs, Strangulation, Teen Romance, Thirsty Victor Nikiforov, Underage Drinking, Underage Masturbation, violence against a teenager
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:15:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 46,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29076960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konjiki_no_Yoake/pseuds/Konjiki_no_Yoake
Summary: Katsuki Yuuri is one of the few openly gay people at his high school which is saying something as it's still frowned upon in his small town in Colorado. For the most part he keeps to himself, his closest friend is Phichit Chulanont and he's quite close to his family.Victor Nikiforov is the town's golden boy. He's led the Toros to four championships as their genius quarterback with the help of his closest friends and teammates, and cheered on by the Toro cheerleaders, the head cheerleader Mila Babicheva being his girlfriend of three years. He's quite close to his mother, Anna, but his relationship with his father, Sergei, leaves much to be desired.For all intents-and-purposes Yuuri's and Victor's lives are worlds apart, but they are closer than everyone might think.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Michele Crispino & Emil Nekola, Mila Babicheva & Victor Nikiforov, Mila Babicheva/Sara Crispino, Mila Babicheva/Victor Nikiforov, Phichit Chulanont & Katsuki Yuuri, Phichit Chulanont/Christophe Giacometti
Comments: 42
Kudos: 78





	1. Smells Like Teen Spirit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [butcher_blues](https://archiveofourown.org/users/butcher_blues/gifts).



> I don't know if this will ever get finished. I'm sorry to those who have followed along until now. Weekly updates are definitely not a thing right now because CH 6 doesn't want to cooperate, and I'm struggling with other things. I will do my best to get out of this weird funk to finish this, but as of now 🤷🏾
> 
> Before you continue reading, please be aware of the following (this list may be added to):
> 
> There is only a year age difference between Yuuri and Victor in this AU.
> 
> This story will have lots of TW// so please be forewarned. I will do my best to mark all of the obvious triggers at the beginning of each chapter, but I am not perfect and something might not occur to me, so please: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! That said...if I miss a trigger or you think I could add something, please comment and I'll do so.
> 
> But seriously MIND THE TAGS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For This Chapter:
> 
> TW// homophobia, homophobic language, allusions to past homophobic abuse
> 
> CW// consensual underage sexual situations (if this is a remote issue I say to you: Riverdale and the like exist; I remember being a horny teenager; my scenes are usually pretty graphic because life is pretty graphic), underage drinking
> 
> Age Note: when we meet them, Victor is 18 and Yuuri is 17, both are seniors in high school. Yuuri started school a year early, hence his age difference as a senior in high school.

The locker-lined hallways buzzed with excitement. Students, backpacks on their backs, some carrying books in their arms. Others had their girlfriends kabedonned against their respective lockers, the girl blushing madly at the attention she received.

The hall was packed while students went about the business of storing items in their lockers for the day, retrieving what they needed for the first class of the day after homeroom. The ten minute warning bell rang overhead to encourage them all to get a move on.

No one was really in a hurry, though. It was Friday. Gameday. Which meant homeroom was replaced by a pep rally. Pep-rallies usually ran long, cutting into the first period. Football season was abound and Mountain View High was one of the top five in their division. In fact, they were the team to beat. Due largely to their very popular, incredibly good-looking, and stupidly talented quarterback, Victor Nikiforov.

The first-generation Russian-American was Mountain View’s star. Starting out in the Junior Varsity league his freshman year in highschool, Victor showed such aptitude for the sport, that he was promoted to Varsity halfway through his first season. Few were surprised, even their (at the time) current quarterback, when he became starting quarterback. Because of Victor, over the years Mountain View had become the school to beat.

A distinct laugh cut through the noise in the hallway as elite members of the team made their way through the sea of people. Like Moses, Victor and his entourage parted it, people moving out of the way as if moved by an invisible hand. Many stopped to gawk at the tall beauty with silky, long platinum-blonde hair flowing around him as though he wasn’t corporeal and blue eyes that sparkled like exquisite sapphires behind long, curtainesque lashes. Plump pink lips served a heart-shaped smile to the crowd. Girls sighed and swooned openly, as he passed by them giving them all a wink, his arm securely around his girlfriend of the last three years, Mila Babicheva. In his senior year of high school at seventeen Victor cut a striking figure.

The petite redhead looked demure and pristinely happy beneath the protective arm of her boyfriend, even more so wrapped in his Varsity jacket. Mila, of course, was head cheerleader. And, because it was gameday, she wore her cheerleader outfit beneath the protective barrier of the jacket. The football team wore their team jerseys and jeans on game days. 

“Watch it, faggot!” Mickey Crispino growled at the poor soul who wasn’t entirely captivated by the football team and managed not to move out of the way. Knocking the kid to the ground, Mickey glowered down at him.

Steadying his blue framed glasses on his nose, the small brunette muttered, “I don’t see any stick bundles around…”

“Hah?! You tryin’ to get smart, kid?!” Crispino growled once more, bending down and getting in the kid’s face.

“C’mon, Mickey,” Sara, Mickey’s sister and Mila’s right-hand, sighed and put her hand on his shoulder. “You don’t want to get into trouble before the game. We’re gonna be late for the pep rally.”

“This fucking kid,” Mickey huffed with a swift kick in the kid’s direction just missing him and kept moving. For a moment Victor paused as if he wanted to say something to the kid, then decided against it. The kid on the ground didn’t notice because he was busy collecting his things.

***

Fridays were simultaneously the best and worst day of the week for Yuuri Katsuki. The **best** because it was the last day of the school week, which meant he had two full days, plus half a day to whatever it was _he_ wanted after school let out. The _worst_ because it also meant mandatory pep rally attendance first thing in the morning.

Yuuri could not care any less about the football team if he tried. The three most popular boys, Victor Nikiforov, Mickey Crispino, and Christophe Giacometti reminded him of an obnoxious kind of Triforce. All stupidly pretty, what with Victor basically embodying an elf some days and a viking on others - depending upon how he had Mila braid his hair for him that day - and Mickey and Christophe’s flawlessly tanned skin, they were like a shiny dick with two painstakingly manscaped balls just wandering around the school unfettered by a body.

While they were all attractive, Victor was obviously known as the Pretty One. While Mickey was the Loud One, and Christophe was the Sexpot. For the most part only Yuuri and his best friend Phichit Chulanont referred to the Big Three by those particular monikers, but in his mind they all fit them perfectly. He didn’t _hate_ them, he just didn’t _care_ about them. Or the football team. Or the pep rally where everyone fawned over them.

Entering the school, Yuuri was met with the cacophonous sounds of Friday morning. Keeping his head down, Yuuri navigated his way through the throngs of people until-

“Watch it, faggot!” The familiar shrill voice hit Yuuri harder than the seeming wall he’d just run into.

 _Shit._ “I don’t see any stick bundles around…” he mumbled. Oh right, he _did_ hate them. At least the Loud One. No. _Only_ the Loud One. He was the only one who was abusive.

“Hah?! You tryin’ to get smart, kid?!” Mickey got a little too close for comfort. Seemed Mickey still hadn’t forgiven Yuuri for admitting to a crush on Victor in the eighth grade.

“C’mon, Mickey,” Sara, Mickey’s sister and somehow a billion times nicer than her twin brother, heroically interjected -whether she meant to or not - and saved Yuuri from a fight. “You don’t want to get into trouble before the game. We’re gonna be late for the pep rally.”

“This fucking kid,” Mickey growled, swinging his foot at Yuuri just missing Yuuri’s nose. Collecting his things, Yuuri did his best to ignore the murmuring around him as the entourage continued on toward the gym.

“Yuuri,” a soft voice called out, “are you okay?” Phichit knelt down next to his friend and helped his friend.

Nodding with no emotion shown on his face, Yuuri replied, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Those guys are jerks,” Phichit noted, looking after the group as it grew smaller in the distance.

“It doesn’t matter, Phichit-kun.” Standing, Yuuri readjusted his glasses and threw his backpack over his shoulder again. “Let’s go get this over with.” They headed toward their homeroom, making it just in time for the final bell to ring. Shuffling into their seats, they sat through rollcall and the usual boring morning announcements until it was time for their class to head to the gym and take their seats.

***

Once the gym was packed it took several more minutes before everyone settled down. 

“Please, everyone, quiet now. Quiet!” Principal Morooka called out, motioning with his arms to do so. “As you know tonight is the night of big Championships!”

The crowd went wild.

Chuckling at his school’s enthusiasm, Morooka kept on, “I know, I know. We’re all excited, but how about we give our football team some school spirit?! Our cheer squad has put together something to get us pumped up before we bring out our fellas! Squad!”

With all the impetuosity that only cheerleaders possessed, the squad ran out to the gym floor, red and blue pom poms held securely in their hands and on their hips, feet kicking up behind them just missing their butts. Every girl had a tight ponytail decorated with fringe scrunchies in their school colors: red and blue, unless their hair was too short for one. Some had MVHS and the Toro mascot painted on their cheeks. Standing front and center was Mila. To her right was Sara, to her left Anya Tchernenko, directly behind her was Georgi Popovich. They were the core of the fifteen person squad.

Taking her signature stance, Mila began, “Everyone! Okay!!” She threw a fist into the air, shimmering with her blue pom pom. She brought the arm down and clapped it together with the red pom pom in her other hand and started the cheer:

“We fought hard all season,”

_All pom poms come up to their chest in fighting position_

“And that's the reason,”

_Pom poms come up in daggers, down into a low touchdown_

“We made it to the finals,”

_Hands come together in a low clasp, lifting it until it is chest high_

“'Cause our scores were so pleasin',”

_A ‘T’ is formed, brought into a right diagonal_

“We won't give up,”

_Switch to left diagonal_

“We won't be whipped,”

_Move into a right ‘L’_

“And by the end of the game,”

_Switch to a left ‘L’_

“We'll win the championship!”

_Arms up into touchdown, high right leg kick_

“Let’s go, Toros!!” the squad cried, pulling off more high kicks, a few doing cartwheels, Georgi achieving a running front flip with a twist, catching quite a bit of air. The crowd went wild, screaming and chanting, _Toros! Toros! Toros!_

“Alright, alright, everybody! Calm down!” Mila shouted over the noise. “We haven’t even brought our boys out yet!” The crowd went crazy. Some students had signs with the school mascot on it, others the numbers of their favorite player. Victor’s number was 7. Mickey’s 12 and Christophe’s 25. As they were the stars, their numbers dominated the stands. “Are you ready?!”

“YEAH!”

“Then let’s bring out the team that’ll make the Jackrabbits cry! Fellas!” While Mila spoke the other members of the squad readied a giant paper sign with the menacing face of a bull painted on it, smoke getting puffed out its pierced nose in an angry cloud, the body of a jackrabbit with X’s as eyes and its tongue lolling out of its mouth surrounded by the cloud.

“BRING THEM OUT! BRING THEM OUT!”

Suddenly, the paper sign burst and through it ran the starting lineup. Waving at the crowd, they lined up and were introduced one-by-one. Done with introductions, Victor, as quarterback and Captain of the football team, was required to give a quick little speech. 

Stepping forward, he cleared his throat and addressed his people. “Is everybody ready to come and cheer us on tonight?!” 

“YEAH!!!”

“Victor!!! I love you!!!!” a disembodied female voice cried.

“I love you, too!” Victor called back with a laugh. “I’m looking forward to seeing and _hearing_ you all tonight at the big game!” Squeals peeled through the gymnasium, the frequency so high certainly every dog within a five-mile radius was sure to be losing their minds.

***

“Kill me, Phichit,” Yuuri groaned in his seat getting bumped by the excited students around him who were jumping and screaming like idol worshippers. “Please kill me.”

“No can do, Yuuri. Who will I take to this game if I kill you?” Phichit replied, waving his own school flag exuberantly.

“I am _not_ going to this game, Phichit,” Yuuri said. “I _hate_ football. It’s the most inane, dangerous game… It’s fucking _stupid_.”

“But tight pants and butts, Yuuri!” Phichit whispered to his childhood friend. One of the few people in Yuuri’s life who knew and didn’t care either way about Yuuri’s preference for the male sex because he himself shared the sentiment. “You’re telling me you have _zero_ desire to see Victor Nikiforov in those tight white pants? So sheer you can see his jockstrap through them?”

Yuuri rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Less than zero.”

“Let’s give another great big cheer for our football team! Good luck, guys!” Principal Morooka announced as the team filtered out of the gym to the cries of their people.

“Now is the perfect time to bail on this,” Yuuri said out loud but to no one. With everyone standing up around him, it made for the perfect camouflage so Yuuri could sneak out of the rally. “Catch you after school, Phichit-kun,” Yuuri said, the Kyushu dialect inherited from his folks speaking only Japanese at home enhanced the definite ‘o’ in Phichit’s name when uttered. Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Yuuri shuffled out of the bleachers the sneakiest way possible and left.

The rally would probably last another several minutes if it didn’t override first period entirely. Championships were a big deal at this school and the pep rallies reflected that. Disinterested, Yuuri walked down the blessedly empty hallways, the sound of his footfalls the only sound. He turned a corner, went down another hallway, then down a flight of stairs, eventually finding himself in a darkened hallway, all but forgotten by time.

At the end of the hallway was a door. It looked like it hadn’t been opened in decades. Standing in front of the door, Yuuri turned the knob and peered inside the even darker room. Before his eyes could get used to the light, hands were on him pulling him inside. The sound of the door slamming and locking behind him a bit unsettling. Frantically, he was shoved against the door and a body was on him in an instant.

“I fucking _hate_ those things,” Victor groaned into Yuuri’s mouth before completing their kiss. A muffled moan escaped Yuuri as Victor kissed him passionately, his hands working the fly on Yuuri’s pants. “I’ve been dying to do _this_ again, Yuuuriii~,” he purred as his hands slipped inside Yuuri’s pants and fingers wrapped around Yuuri’s rapidly swelling cock.

“Guh, Victor,” Yuuri gasped on contact. “You, hah!” Before Yuuri could form a coherent sentence, Victor was on his knees ready to worship him, his nose and lips nuzzling Yuuri’s cock before swallowing it whole. “VicTOR!” he cried, doubling over.

Victor’s lips met Yuuri’s hips, his nose just brushing Yuuri’s pelvis, tickled by the hair there. He inhaled deeply, becoming drunk on Yuuri’s scent and groaned, lustfully, sending vibrations up Yuuri’s shaft, causing Yuuri to twitch and buck. When he pulled back he took his time and ran his tongue delicately over the under part of the shaft until he was able to swirl it entirely around the uncircumcised head, slipping beneath the tender flesh to suck on the pulsing pink tip.

Victor’s hands on Yuuri’s hips wouldn’t allow Yuuri any escape, not that he longed for freedom at the moment. A hand slid through the silky platinum strands, giving Victor a gentle massage as he worked Yuuri. A muffled pleased whimper escaped from Victor at the attention. “You’re so good at this, Vitya,” Yuuri whispered, gazing down at his beauty.

Victor looked up at Yuuri with his eyes only, his pretty pink lips still wrapped securely around Yuuri, but a smile formed there anyway from the praise. That smile reached his eyes which watered due to his ministrations, and they held eye contact that way for a long moment before Victor decided he was through waiting for his prize and wrapped a tender hand around Yuuri’s balls, giving them a good squeeze, knowing what it would do to him.

“Hnn, nggghh, Vit…” No fair, Victor did that thing he knows sends Yuuri over the edge when he’d rather enjoy himself. But, Victor was often impatient, which in this case there was good reason as class would resume sooner than later. They simply didn’t have the time they wanted, so Yuuri gave in, fisting Victor’s hair tight, he thrust up violently three times before holding Victor in place as he released down his throat. 

Victor choked a little, a tiny bit of cum slipping out of the corner of his mouth. His eyes cast upward, pink flushing his cheeks, tears in his eyes, as he watched Yuuri’s orgasm wash over him in a glorious wave, pleased with his work.

Reluctantly, Yuuri slipped from Victor’s mouth and slumped against the door, gasping for breath. He felt light-headed and giddy as he reached out to cup Victor’s cheek, wiping away the bit of cum that escaped with his thumb. Before he could clean it off himself, Victor’s mouth caught Yuuri’s thumb and swirled his tongue around it. “Mine,” he growled, Yuuri’s thumb still in his mouth.

Yuuri chuckled with a grin, “Yours, of course, Vitya. Always.”

As Yuuri collected himself, a flushed Victor wiped at the corners of his mouth demurely, watching Yuuri intently. “Are you going to be there tonight? I can’t do my best if you’re not there, Yuuri,” Victor asked, hopeful.

A soft huff of a chuckle escaped Yuuri as he zipped up. “I’m always there, Vitya. I don’t think I’ve missed a game since you made Varsity,” he reminded Victor. A low-profile kept, Yuuri managed to sneak to every single game remaining inconspicuous.

Beaming, Victor’s smile lit up the nearly blacked out room. “I know, I just like to check.” The silence hung in the air for an incredibly long moment before Victor offered, “I’m sorry about Mickey. I wanted-”

“It’s okay, Vitya. I know what I’ve signed up for,” Yuuri sighed, a small sad smile crossed his lips. “I’m not crazy about it, but it is what it is,” he shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “I mean, I agreed to the fake girlfriend.”

Closing the space between them, Victor kabedonned Yuuri against the door again, pressing his forehead against Yuuri’s. “You know I love _you_ , right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Yuuri breathed. Another long moment passed, the only sound in the room the humming of the air conditioning unit, the rustling of clothes as hands roamed over bodies, and soft moans passing between the couple as they shared another passionate kiss. “We… Should get going… The bell-”

“I know,” Victor purred, kissing Yuuri sweetly once more, sucking on his bottom lip before releasing him. Yuuri smoothed over Victor’s hair, gazing at him wondering how he got so lucky. “Thanks,” Victor smiled softly, leaning into the touch. “I’ll go first, make sure the coast is clear,” he sighed, kissing Yuuri once more before taking leave.

Yuuri waited a few moments until he heard the signature ting of the pipe that made noise in the room he occupied from outside and down the hall. The sound let Yuuri know it was safe to exit without questions getting asked.

***

“Let’s go Toros!” _Clap! Clap! Clap!Clap!Clap!_ “Let’s go Toros!!” _Clap! Clap! Clap!Clap!Clap!_ The chant resounded in the stands, overwhelming the chants coming from the Jackrabbit’s cheerleaders. More signs and banners waved in the crisp night air, streamers going this way and that, the puffs of breath coming from each person in attendance hanging in the cold sky. 

The score was 49-0 in favor of the Toros with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter. With all timeouts exhausted the best the Jackrabbits could hope for was a Hail Mary to even get on the scoreboard. It was for naught and the Toros walked away with the Championship.

Hailed the hero, Victor was hoisted up onto the shoulders of all of his teammates and celebrated like the football god he was. What a season it was ending undefeated. After he was set on the ground, Victor was then immediately doused with Gatorade, soaking him through. He laughed and shook his long wet locks out of his face, waving up at the stands, his helmet securely in his hand.

The crowd went wild but it was only one person Victor was waving to. He could feel his eyes on him even though he couldn’t see him. There would be little to no chance to pick Yuuri out of the crowd quickly enough to keep it subtle to everyone around him. So, blindly, he waved like he always did and shouted back, “I love you, too!” to the crowd, meaning it for only one person. 

***

Yuuri sat in the bleachers, wrapped in his favorite brown fluffy jacket, his head covered in his favorite black cat-ear beanie. Like everyone else, when he exhaled you could see the cloud escape him like a ghost excited to be free. Boredom etched on his face, Yuuri watched Victor with a keen eye, getting squished and bumped by those in attendance. He was grateful for the scarf wrapped around his neck because he could smile as widely as he wanted without being called out.

Yuuri wasn’t particularly interested in football. He was interested in his boyfriend, though, so dutifully, he attended every game as inconspicuously as possible. Even the away games. Yuuri loved Victor and wanted to watch him shine like the beacon of light he was. Arms crossed over his chest to help keep him warm, Yuuri shivered a little bit when the team finally put Victor down after winning the Championship and he waved to him in the crowd. _How does he always know where I am?_

“Ah! What an amazing game, Yuuri! Did you see that?!” Phichit cried, pumping his fists in the air. “Gosh, they’re amazing! They’re _all_ **amazing**!” he squealed as they slowly made their way out of the stands with everyone else. As soon as he had the room, Phichit started mimicking moments of the game, twisting his body as if to throw a pass, then jumping as if to catch. Then, he pretended to deek Yuuri and ran around him with a spin before throwing down his imaginary ball, and raising his arms triumphantly. “SCORE!!! Yessssssssss!”

“I’m glad one of us had fun,” Yuuri mumbled, trying to keep the smile out of his voice. “I really don’t understand the appeal.” Thank goodness for the scarf. He was such a liar.

Glomping onto Yuuri, Phichit smiled, “It’s exciting! The sights, the sounds, the smells! The snap of the football, the crashing of helmets and grunting of men, the cheers when they score. Ah, Yuuri, it’s adrenaline in its purest form. Never mind the butts.”

Yuuri broke out laughing at that because he couldn’t disagree. “You got me there,” he shrugged, still chuckling. Victor had an incredibly exquisite derrière. 

“I mean, they’re all jerks, but I’d still angry fuck Chris every day of the week!” Phichit grinned, devilishly, tapping his fingers together like Mr. Burns.

“Phichit-kun!” Yuuri exclaimed, snorting.

“Lissen,” Phichit said, offering nothing more on the subject. “You’re coming to the after party, right?”

Sighing heavily, Yuuri replied, “I’d really rather skip it.”

“Come on, Yuuri!” Arriving at Phichit’s car, they paused on their respective sides of the vehicle, Phichit folding his arms and placing them on the roof. “It’ll be fun! You need to get out more, seriously.”

“Well, seeing as how you’re driving, I guess I’m at your mercy,” Yuuri shrugged, his hand on the handle waiting to get in. “Just open the damn doors already. It’s _freezing_.”

“Yes!” Phichit fist pumped his glee and unlocked the doors.

***

Cars lined the streets, so they had to park more than a block away from the house having the party. They could hear the bass before the other layers of the music filtered through, as well as the sound of wild teenagers enjoying the party after the game. They could see some teenagers on the lawn the closer they got to the party house, dancing on the lawn to the music. Red cups in hands, waved in the air without a care. Bodies swayed and laughter rang out in the night.

Red and blue streamers waved lazily in the crisp late evening air as they dangled from trees, and red and blue balloons littered the yard, many getting upset by the tipsy goers who had little to no consideration for the balloons at all. Signs reading ‘TORO CHAMPIONS’ hung everywhere and there was a giant inflatable Toro mascot standing proudly in the center of it all. Other houses had signs staked in their yards with red and blue balloons tied to them, congratulating the team on another victory. Some had full blown banners and bunting.

“I really don’t understand why the town is so crazy about football?” Yuuri queried as he and Phichit walked the last several yards. His hands were shoved in his jeans pockets and his shoulders were hunched to ward off the cold as they’d both purposefully left their jackets in Phichit’s car. The long sleeved dark blue flannel over his light blue T-shirt did little to ward off the night chill.

“Yuuri, we had this conversation. Adrenaline,” Phichit sighed, shaking his head with an eye roll.

“Right, right.”

They reached the porch of the house and paid the two dollar cup fee, entering the rambunctious party. The first smell to hit Yuuri’s nose was rank skunk weed, mixed with sweat, pizza, and vomit. “Ugh, did we really arrive that late?” he asked, gagging slightly before eventually becoming nose blind to the obnoxious smells.

“It’s better to be fashionably late to these things, Yuuri. Nothing good ever happens at the beginning of a party,” Phichit told him, grabbing his cup. “I’ll go get us drinks.”

Yuuri nodded, then looked around at the scene before him. Kids dancing and laughing, eating and drinking, and smoking. It was of course illegal what the kids were drinking and smoking as they were teenagers ranging in age from fourteen to eighteen, but the town often looked the other way when it came to anything football and its team.

He skirted through the crowd in the vain attempt to find a spot to sort of wallflower, coming up empty. Then, that familiar laugh cut through everything announcing Victor’s location like a homing beacon. Yuuri could only turn his head despite wanting to go to him. It was best at these kinds of parties to avoid each other as much as they possibly could.

It didn’t always work, though. When Yuuri’s head turned in the direction of Victor’s laugh, he spied him immediately. And, as if time stopped, their eyes met across the room. Holding contact for a split second longer than they probably should. Yuuri was the one to look away and disappear into the crowd.

***

When their eyes met Victor wanted nothing more than to cross the room and greet Yuuri with a kiss. Instead, he smiled his small sweet smile as he stood with one arm around Mila, a red cup in his other hand. He hoped Yuuri would notice the tiny twitch of his index finger as an additional acknowledgement. An equally subtle nod thrown his way made his insides dance. The sound of his own last name pulled his eyes away, landing on someone much less pleasant to look at. He winced.

“Nikiforov!” Jean-Jacques Leroy, otherwise known as JJ. An incredibly obnoxious sophomore who was on the junior varsity team walked up and looked like he was going to poke Victor in the chest, but Mickey and Christophe both took an intimidating step forward. Varsity jackets in place on both of them, as though they practiced the move all night, their hands shoved into their pockets, their heads cocked just so, and an eyebrow each between them raised.

“You need something, Leroy?” Christophe asked, his deep voice leaving no room for error.

Swallowing hard, JJ did his best not to shrink. “U-uh, yeah! I was just gonna tell him I’m taking his job next season!”

Everybody laughed. “Oh? Good for you,” Victor said with mirth, taking a drink from his cup.

“I bet you’re gonna run scared now, huh?” JJ smirked, straightening.

Everybody laughed harder. “Fuck you’re stupid!” Mickey croaked. “Have you been living under a rock, Leroy?”

“I’m graduating this year, dumbass,” Victor snorted, adding, “that was the Championship. The _last_ game of the year! By all means.” At that moment, Victor took his arm from around Mila’s shoulders and bowed dramatically, opening his arms wide. “Take my job!”

JJ turned red and scrambled off to his girlfriend, freshman Isabella Yang who immediately took JJ into her arms and comforted him as they disappeared into the crowd.

“Oh, Victor, you’re too harsh on that poor boy,” Georgi sighed, dreamily, his arm around his main squeeze, Anya.

“No, that JJ is so full of himself, always shouting ‘it’s JJ style!’ at random and making these _stupid_ J’s with his fingers,” Anya giggled, mimicking JJ finger J’s and all.

“There’s a reason he’s on the junior varsity team,” Christophe smirked, sipping from his own red cup. “He refuses to listen to Coach Celestino and wants to do everything _his_ way.” Christophe refused to pull off the finger J’s.

Georgi and Anya had stopped listening, instead focusing on each other with their heads close together, faces hidden by her long brown hair. Smooches and giggles seeped from behind the curtain of locks.

“I don’t know why I bother,” Christophe sighed, rolling his eyes and turning his attention to the crowd. 

“This party sucks,” Mickey yawned, stretching, putting one arm in the air, the other behind his head. “Let’s go set up beer pong, Chris.”

Swallowing what was left in his cup, Chris shrugged and handed it off to Sara whose face asked _why the fuck are you handing this to me?_ as she set it on the nearest flat surface, replying, “Fine.”

***

Victor was obviously the one to beat. He was actually astonished by how many people sucked at beer pong. “All you have to do is…” Victor said and took careful aim, tossing a ping pong ball into the last cup across from him right in front of his opponent, “Toss it in the cup.”

“Fuck you, Nikiforov,” the party-goer mumbled, drinking what was in the cup, he belched and wandered off, stumbling.

“Who’s up next?!” Victor called out, laughing loudly, his arms outstretched in provocation.

***

“Yuuri!” Phichit nudged Yuuri with his shoulder, gazing off into the distance. “Victor’s just sent another one off drunk as a skunk,” he snorted. “You should challenge him. Oh! Looks like he’s accepting offers!”

Bumped into turning in Victor’s direction, Yuuri saw him with his arms outstretched, a big smug smile on his beautiful face, his perfect glowing hair braided in viking style for the party. “Ah, hard pass. I’m not going over there,” he replied, shaking his head and turning away, taking a sip from his cup. “I’m certainly not stupid enough to challenge the quarterback of an undefeated team to a game of beer pong.”

“Jesus, Yuuri, you gotta _live_ a little,” Phichit rolled his eyes and grabbed his friend by the wrist.

“Phichit! No! Let me- Phichit! You-” Yuuri cried under his breath, trying to covertly escape from his friend without causing a scene.

“Yuuri will challenge the champ!” Phichit shouted over the crowd, raising his red cup into the air.

It was the first time Yuuri ever wanted to run and hide from Victor. _Our worlds can’t collide! Our worlds can’t collide!_ “N-no, no I won’t, I was just leaving,” he said, getting helplessly dragged by the suspiciously scrappy Phichit.

“C’mon, fag, you scared?” Mickey chortled, puffing himself up.

“The only thing I’m scared of, Mickey, is your small lexicon,” Yuuri sighed, standing at the edge of his side of the table.

The crowd gasped and ‘oooooooohed’ at the diss, erupting in laughter.

“Are you talking about my dick, queer?!” Agitated, Mickey got in Yuuri’s face, their chests bumping together.

“No, Mickey, but I am curious as to why you’re rubbing up against me. You’re really not my type,” Yuuri said, casually and calmly.

“You fuckin-” Mickey raised and balled up a fist.

Christophe caught the fist and placed his other hand on Mickey’s shoulder, shaking his head at Mickey when he turned to see who kept him from hitting Yuuri. “He means your vocabulary could be expanded, idiot. Relax.”

Tossing a look back at Yuuri, Mickey had to be escorted outside when Yuuri very smugly and sarcastically winked and blew a kiss at him. “Alright, I guess… Who goes first?” Yuuri asked, looking Victor square in the eye. It was an absolute dare.

***

What a surprising upset. And not even by a small margin. Victor’s streak was demolished with one well tossed ping pong ball. Half the crowd cheered, half the crowd was speechless and stunned as they watched a very drunk Victor drink his last cup of beer with all the dignity he could muster. Crumpling the cup and throwing it behind him, easily hitting the garbage can - might have even stayed in had it not been overflowing with, you know, garbage - he belched loudly and laughed. 

“What a match! I guess that makes you the Champion, huh?” Victor smiled across at Yuuri, his cheeks flushed with heat from the alcohol and the thrill of playing a public game of beer pong with his secret boyfriend.

Holding his gaze, Yuuri emptied the cups in front of him, belching obnoxiously, replying, “Looks like a draw to me. See ya around, Champ.” Before anyone could stop him, Yuuri disappeared into the throngs of people.

“Yuuri! Wait for me!” Phichit called, chasing after him. The density of people made it difficult for him to get to Yuuri quickly. Finally, he caught up to him outside, walking down the street. “YUURI!!”

With his hands in his pockets and without turning around, Yuuri stopped. “What?”

“Are you mad?” Phichit asked, next to him, worry on his face. Maybe he pushed too far.

“I’m drunk, Phichit,” Yuuri sighed, running a hand through his hair, causing a few strands to stick out randomly. “I feel like walking it off. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he promised, placing one foot in front of the other.

“At least come get your jacket,” Phichit insisted. “It’s freezing out here.”

“Yeah, fine,” Yuuri agreed and did as much. Followed Phichit to his car and retrieved his jacket, which also, he’d forgotten, had his phone and house keys in it. Good thing he agreed to get his jacket. The light on his phone flashed with notifications. “Alright, I’ll see you later, Phichit.”

“Tell your secret lover, whoever he is, ‘hi’ from me, okay?” Phichit called after him, teasing.

Yuuri stiffened and paused for a millisecond, continuing on his way without looking back. He could hear Phichit’s giggles fade into the distance. So far, Yuuri had yet to officially confirm a boyfriend, but Phicht had been suspicious for a long time.

***

Mila helped a stumbling Victor toward the door, knowing it was past time to get him away from the crowd. She always worried when Victor drank because he was an affectionate drunk, but not everybody appreciated the touchy-feely guy he’d turn into when he had too much to drink. He was borderline and she knew it, so Mila wrapped him in his jacket, covered herself in hers and bid everyone a goodnight, promising to take the best of care of their Champ.

Walking to her car, Mila tried to pour Victor into the passenger seat, but he objected. “N-nooo,” he groaned heavily, but firmly planting his hand on the frame of the car. “I’m gonna walk.”

Mila was surprised. “Victor, it’s too cold to walk. Come on, get in. I’ll take you home.” Trying again to get Victor into her car, she was unsuccessful. “Victor, get in!”

“Nn, I’m not going home,” Victor told her, shaking his head trying to clear it a bit. He turned his body around and leaned against the frame.

“No? Where are you going?” Mila asked, cocking an eyebrow and placing a hand on her hip questioningly. She gave up on trying to get Victor into the car.

Offering his charming smile, Victor waggled his eyebrows and said, “It’s a _secret_.” He giggled and put a lazy finger in front of his lips.

Mila sighed and shook her head. “Honey, how long have we been ‘dating’?” she asked him, using finger quotes for effect.

Victor sighed and pouted. “Three years,” he groaned, letting his head fall back. The cool air felt nice on his skin. He was hot despite the crispness of the evening. The way Yuuri had challenged him in front of all those people turned Victor on. Briefly, he became lost in those thoughts until Mila brought him back, abruptly.

“Three years. Remember what I said to you back then?” By this time, she’d made it around to her own side of the car.

“That I could trust you.”

“That’s right, and you still can. I would cut out my own tongue before telling anyone your secret,” she promised him over the top of her car. 

“I know, it’s just… I made him a promise-” Victor began, but a high pitched squeal escaped Mila.

“Ooooh! I _knew_ it!” Mila did a happy little jump and clapped excitedly.

Victor’s eyes widened when he realized his slip up and he whipped around to face Mila. “Fuck, I- Shit, Mila, we made a promise not to tell _anyone_. We don’t- It’s just-” Hesitating, Victor searched for the right words. But she saved him.

“Once again… How long have we been dating? It can be dangerous, I know,” she sighed and unlocked her car. “Get in.”

“Mila, I’m meeting… Him…” Victor said, earnestly, but blushing all at the same time. He had to avert his eyes and he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed.

“I’ll drive you as close as you feel comfortable allowing me. You’re too drunk to walk very far. There should be a bottle of water and blanket in my trunk. Grab ‘em and get in,” she said, popping her trunk for Victor.

Smiling a bit sheepishly, Victor retrieved a bottle and the blanket from the trunk and got in Mila’s car. “I appreciate it, Mila.”

“What are best fake girlfriends for?” she asked, smiling widely and giving her friend a reassuring wink.

***

When Victor found Yuuri, he was lying in the grass at the top of their favorite isolated hill. It overlooked the town which twinkled beautifully at night. “Hey,” Victor called out softly.

From his spot Yuuri craned his neck to see Victor approaching, carrying a bottle of water and a blanket. He smiled and sat up. “Hey yourself. I was wondering if you were gonna stand me up,” Yuuri teased, never taking his eyes off Victor as Victor set down the water bottle and laid out the blanket for them.

Victor looked shocked. “Yuuri, I would _never_! If I’ve stood you up by even one minute, something has happened to me. I’m not even late, you’re always early.” The pair made themselves comfortable on the blanket, smoothing it out as best they could on the grassy terrain.

“I know, I just…” Yuuri sighed, turning his head back out to the town, opting to not finish his sentence. Graduation would happen sooner than later and Victor had scholarship offerings coming out of his ears, never mind the pro teams scouting him. Having a gay boyfriend didn’t quite factor into any of it. Yuuri decided not to dump all that on Victor, though. Not tonight, anyway.

“Mila knows I’m meeting you,” Victor offered after the silence lingered too long, his voice above a whisper. “Well, _someone_.”

“What?!” Yuuri exclaimed, the sound echoing in the evening. “Victor we promised!”

“She doesn’t know it’s _you_ , but she’s suspected for sometime, it seems,” Victor sighed, stretching his long legs out in front of him and falling back onto his hands, sharing Yuuri’s gaze out at the town. 

Yuuri was less than crazy about Victor’s visible relationship with Mila, but understood it. It provided Victor the perfect if not quintessential cover. Steady boyfriend of the head cheerleader. What could be better? And, she seemed nice and trustworthy enough. Victor trusted her, so Yuuri’s only choice was to trust her, too. “You don’t think she’s just biding her time? Waiting for the perfect moment to ruin your life?”

Anyone else would have gotten angry. Maybe even socked him for suggesting such a thing. Victor, however, wasn’t just anyone. His eyes closed and he smirked, chuckling softly. “Mutually assured destruction, Yuuri. Mila is also gay.”

Yuuri straightened at how casually Victor told him what was obviously a secret between him and Mila. “Vitya, you shouldn’t-”

Victor’s smirk turned into a soft grin. “It’s fine, Yuuri.” He turned his piercing sapphire blue gaze onto Yuuri and he continued, “She wanted me to offer it as a kind of…” pausing he placed a finger thoughtfully to his bottom lip and looked up briefly as he decided how he wanted to form his thought, “…peace offering, I suppose. I think she hopes to meet you.” Victor blushed at the thought of introducing Yuuri to someone as his ‘boyfriend.’ It made his heart race in his chest and his stomach become tight.

The silence stretched again as Yuuri seemed to contemplate Victor’s words. “I’d have to tell Phichit,” he began slowly, weighing the thought in his mind. What would Phichit say? What would he think? All this time saying how much he couldn’t care less when he was Victor’s biggest fan? 

He smirked and asked, “Can I think about it?” As much as he wanted to let the world know they were in love and had been since their freshman year, the implications were heavy. It could ruin Victor’s life. Yuuri wouldn’t do that to Victor. “He’s kind of crap at keeping a secret, but he definitely suspects something.”

Chuckling, Victor nodded. “Hey, take off your jacket,” he said, moving to take off his own.

Questioning it, but doing so anyway, Yuuri asked, “Why?”

“Trade me,” Victor replied, handing Yuuri his Varsity jacket. “I wanna wear your jacket for a little while.”

Yuuri thought his heart would throb out of his chest. Obviously, somewhere deep down he’d always wanted to wear it, but for some reason it never occurred to either of them until just then. “Oh, o-okay,” Yuuri blushed so hard, he was sure it was visible in spite of how dark it was. Trading his jacket for Victor’s, Yuuri melted as soon as he was wrapped in it.

It was still warm and it smelled like leather, wool, and Victor. Spicy like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, but sweet like a mix of citrus fruits. A well worn-in garment, Yuuri felt immediately at home in it, and hid his face in the collar.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Victor settle into his nondescript, brown jacket, and suddenly he was embarrassed. His jacket wasn’t nearly as nice as Victor’s and he wondered what about it made Victor want to put such a thing on. When he dared to look at him, Yuuri was taken by how happy Victor seemed in that moment. _Oh._

“That was fun tonight,” Victor offered into the night, snuggled happily in Yuuri’s jacket. 

“You let me win,” Yuuri snorted.

Victor laughed. “Isn’t that what boyfriends do? Good ones, at least.”

Yuuri moved so he was sitting between Victor’s legs and leaned against his chest. Victor resituated so they were both comfortable and wrapped his arms around Yuuri. “I guess.”

“Winning wasn’t the point, Yuuri,” Victor whispered in Yuuri’s ear, nipping and lapping at the shell.

Yuuri groaned softly and turned into the caress. “No?”

“Nn,” Victor rumbled into Yuuri’s ear, gently nuzzling him. “Spending the time with you was. I’m really happy you accepted the challenge. Even though it looked like you needed quite a bit of encouragement.”

“That’s-!” Yuuri squeaked and tried to sit up, but Victor held him in place and continued to lap at Yuuri’s ear.

“Stay put.”

“Victor,” Yuuri whined and squirmed in his arms.

“I said… Stay. Put.” Victor demanded, his timber low and threatening, tightening his grip on Yuuri. “I can’t do this…” he said as a hand slipped inside his Varsity jacket and pulled up Yuuri’s shirt, his hand making quick work of Yuuri’s fly. It slipped inside and pulled out Yuuri’s swelling cock. “I wanna make you cum wearing my jacket,” he whispered in Yuuri’s ear.

“Vi-vitYA!” Yuuri cried, trying to close his legs and eliminate Victor’s access. It was cold and the sudden shock of air to his nether regions was shocking to say the very least, but Victor didn’t care and used his feet to spread Yuuri’s legs apart at the ankles and pin Yuuri in place with his stronger, quarterback legs.

Sucking on the tender flesh behind Yuuri’s ear where it would be hidden by his hair, Victor marked Yuuri while the hand not holding him in place, slowly and tenderly rolled Yuuri’s balls in his hands. He wanted to make sure Yuuri was as hard as possible, and when Victor knew Yuuri had given himself completely over to him, Victor’s other hand slid under Yuuri’s shirt and pinched a nipple hard.

“Ahn! Vic-! Haaa!” Yuuri relaxed and melted into Victor, an arm sliding up around Victor’s neck, to hold onto him, as he lived for the attention he was given. “So… So _good_ … Ahhhn!” Yuuri’s hips bucked, trying to get Victor’s hand to touch his painfully hard cock.

“You were putting up such a fuss a minute ago,” Victor purred and chuckled in Yuuri’s ear, his cheek pressed lovingly against Yuuri’s head.

“Don’t _tease_ me!”

Victor laughed, but kept it low so as not to startle Yuuri. “Oh, solnyshko, that’s exactly my intention,” he replied, and kissed the side of Yuuri’s head, sliding his hand up and wrapping around Yuuri’s cock, giving it a good squeeze.

The grip Yuuri had around Victor’s neck tightened; Victor was certain Yuuri broke the skin there with his nails which made his own dick surge. “Vitya, please,” Yuuri begged, his hips thrusting in Victor’s tempting grip.

“Please what?”

“Make me cum wearing your jacket,” Yuuri obliged him, craning his neck to catch Victor’s mouth in a hot, sloppy kiss.

Victor groaned into Yuuri’s demanding kiss, their tongues running flat and knowingly against each other’s, but still eager and excited to feel each other again. When the kiss broke, saliva ran between them and Victor agreed, with a harsh and needy voice, “Okay.”

It didn’t end with Yuuri cumming wearing Victor’s jacket, but Yuuri returned the gracious favor and decided Victor’s fantasy was a good one he wouldn’t mind plagiarizing. So, he sucked Victor off while wearing his jacket, knowing as soon as they traded back he’d feel giddy every time he put the raggedy thing on. Officially, he could never throw this ugly thing away.

***

“Tadaima,” Yuuri called out when he entered his home. Sloughing his layers he heard, “Okaeri!” in return from deep within the house. His sister Mari came around the corner and asked her baby brother with a smirk, “Walk of shame, huh? Who’s the lucky guy?”

Yuuri’s entire face, his ears and neck included turned beet red. “Mari nee-chan!” he whispered, loudly.

Giggling, she ruffled his hair and wandered away. “Let me know if he ever breaks your heart, whoever he is, because I’ll break his face.”

“Yuuri! Come help me fold towels!” Hiroko, Yuuri’s mother, hollered from presumably the laundry of the onsen they ran in their small town in her heavy Japanese.

“I’ll be right there!” Entering the room, Hiroko greeted her son with a big smile and stepped aside to give over the pile of towels she was folding.

“How was your American football game?” she asked, stacking another disheveled pile next to her son and beginning to fold.

Smiling at the way she specified ‘American’ made Yuuri grin with mild amusement. “It was fine, okaasan.”

“And, your friend Phichit?”

“He’s fine.”

“Tell him ‘hello’ the next time you see him. Tell him not to be a stranger,” Hiroko insisted.

“I will, okaasan,” Yuuri promised.

“He’s a nice boy,” Hiroko mused as she folded. The tone in her voice cheerfully hinted at something more between him and his best friend.

“We’re not dating, okaasan. We’re just friends,” he chuckled. His parents were forever trying to get him to date Phichit since they knew he was also gay and fit in so well with their family. But both Yuuri and Phichit both knew they were better as friends.

Never mind Yuuri already had a boyfriend, who he was certain his parents would utterly _adore_ if only he could introduce them. It made him a little sad thinking they might not ever get a chance to do so with Victor’s prospects being what they were. He would have to be happy with the four years they’ve had.

“I know, I know,” she sighed, still folding away, “doesn’t mean I can’t like him as a son! He brings such joy to you. No matter how he does it. He’s always welcome here.”

“Arigatou, okaasan,” Yuuri murmured, his ears turning red.

In truth, Yuuri had a fantastic support system. His biggest fan was his big sister Mari, though. When she found out about Mickey beating up Yuuri for his middle school crush on Victor, it was all he could do to keep her from going to Mickey’s house and raising hell. After that, he knew not to let her know when Mickey uttered something foul in his direction. It wasn’t that he was used to it - who gets used to hearing derogatory slurs shouted at them on a daily basis? No one - it was that his sister would never get anything else done, it happened so frequently.

It wasn’t just Mickey. And, it wasn’t always overt. Mickey had the subtlety of a freight train barrelling through a library, others were more lowkey about it, sneering at him or whispering behind his back because he wasn’t ashamed that he was gay. He and Mari had long conversations about Yuuri getting the hell out of town as soon as he graduated. Their little Colorado town wasn’t particularly safe. He’d do better in a big city like Denver. 

Yuuri thought he’d like to get even further away from there. Another country altogether. Where no one knew him and he could really start over. He considered Japan, but it wasn’t exactly what he was looking for he decided. New Zealand? Or maybe someplace no one would expect. Like Malta. They had an excellent LGBTQ scene. He thought he’d like to live out his life there.

There was also no American football in Malta. He’d be able to forget about Victor there when the aforementioned beauty eventually realized he wouldn’t be able to remain Victor Nikiforov quarterback for whatever team drafted him first with a man and not a woman on his arm.

***

Victor entered his home as quietly as he could, preferring not to run into his father before bed. If Sergei wasn’t drunk and passed out, he was drunk and bitching at Victor about how his victories could be better. Margins wider. Passes cleaner. Hair shorter. The only thing Sergei liked about Victor was Mila and the gorgeous grandchildren she’d give him, and the fact that his son was about to go pro and would be making money hand over fist.

Problem was Victor didn’t even like football. He was great at it, sure, but it was a **job** he’d had since he was a kid, and he hated it. He was putting up with it until graduation until he could get the fuck out of town. Hopefully with Yuuri. They’d never really talked about their future together, so Victor wasn’t sure that Yuuri wanted to leave. 

Whenever he would mean to have the conversation they’d end up making out and bringing each other to delirious orgasms. They hadn’t had full blown intercourse yet, but Victor was willing to wait for as long as he needed to. For Yuuri. Anything for Yuuri.

Thankfully, Sergei was passed out in his recliner in front of the TV and Victor was able to slip by unnoticed. Victor hoped his mom was still awake. He was delighted to find her sitting up in bed, reading one of her romance novels. The sight of her engrossed in one of her smutty books brought a grin to his face. “Do let me borrow that when you’re done?” he asked, sitting down next to her.

Anna’s head snapped up and she smiled widely at her son. “Ah, you’re home!” she sighed in an excited whisper. She didn’t want to disturb Sergei any more than Victor did. “How was your sporting event?” she asked, her Russian coming through in hushed tones. Setting her book down face open on the bed, she reached out for Victor’s hands.

“We won,” he smiled, humbly and a little bit sadly, clasping his mother’s hands lovingly, staring down at them.

“Mm,” she nodded, knowing her son’s true heart. “You don’t sound too happy.” Victor shrugged. “Vitya, talk to your mother,” she insisted, stroking his cheek. Then, her lithe fingers drew some of her son’s fine braided hair over his shoulder and she smoothed it out. Their shared trademark.

“I’m in love with a boy, Mama, and I don’t know what to do about it.” Tears welled up in Victor’s eyes and spilled down his cheeks.

Victor’s mother smiled softly at him and drew him in for a tight squeeze. “Yes, you do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Title: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana


	2. The Nearness of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Prom time!
> 
> Both Victor and Yuuri have big decisions to make. Will they make up or break up?
> 
> A mostly fluffy chapter. Enjoy it because it gets heavy from Chapter 3 on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter:
> 
> CW// consensual underage sexual situations 
> 
> Mostly fluff, a little bit of angst. These two dorks.

It was two weeks before prom which meant the hallways of the school were lined with prom paraphernalia advertising the event announcing the theme: Moulin Rouge: Spectacular! Spectacular!

Yuuri rolled his eyes at all the envisioned Satine’s and Christian’s bound to be at the affair. Though, he wasn’t quite sure why he was bothered. It wasn’t as if he was attending.

“Yuuri! I got us tickets!” Phichit cried, barrelling toward Yuuri, two prom tickets held in his hand, waving high above his head.

“Oh, for fuck’s-” Yuuri pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily, knowing what was coming next. “Kill me…”

“We can go as-”

“Christian and Satine?” Yuuri asked, his face covered in sarcasm. “And, let me guess, you already have your Satine outfit ready to go!” he finished, swinging his fist out from his body back in.

“How’d you know?!” Phichit exclaimed, wide-eyed with shock.

“Wild guess,” Yuuri smirked with a slight shrug. Phichit was an open book.

“I have yours done, too!” Phichit the cosplay seamstress struck again. More and more often Yuuri regretted ever allowing Phichit to take his measurements for ‘practice.’ Yuuri had been roped into more photoshoots than he cared to remember.

“I’d be more surprised if you didn’t, Phichit-kun.”

***

Victor sat wrapped in a fluffy robe, his hair wrapped in a fluffy towel at Mila’s vanity in her oversized basement ensuite bathroom. After spending time with Yuuri that afternoon at their favorite private spot on the hill, Victor made sure he was seen at Mila’s house for a good chunk of the rest of the day. Mila’s folks were sweet, unassuming, and the furthest from nosy as two parents could be while still being interested and active in their child’s life. When Victor was over he felt like one of the family, they were so kind. 

He wasn’t sure if they knew their daughter was a lesbian or not. They never asked them invasive questions about their future, though. None of those, “Oh, the BEAUTIES they’ll make! Can’t you IMAGINE?!” type questions that made him squirm in his seat with discomfort. And, more than once they’d caught them in this exact situation.

Victor sitting in a robe with his wet hair in a towel at Mila’s vanity, Mila ‘practicing’ her makeup skills on Victor’s flawless skin. The most rise they ever got out of either of her parents was to make sure they didn’t leave wet towels on the floor, then they’d be reminded that lunch or dinner, sometimes even breakfast was ready, and that they were expected post haste.

“Why can’t I ever get my eyes to look like _yours_?!” Mila complained, highlighting Victor’s eyes with a little bit of gold to go with the fiery red look she was playing with.

“What are you talking about? Your looks are always perfect!” Victor muttered, staying as still as he could while she lined his eyes.

Pulling back and ensuring her lines weren’t wavy where waves weren’t permitted, Mila replied, “You’re very sweet, but let’s face it, you have better skin than I do. It’s not fair.” Victor chuckled and blushed. “And, your lips! Ah! The _best_ canvas for lipsticks and stains! I’m so jealous.” She squeezed his cheeks together and forced him to pucker, playfully.

“Stop, you’re embarrassing me,” Victor whined, teasingly pushing Mila away.

Giggling, Mila pulled the towel off of Victor’s head, having put on her final touches to his face. Gently patting his head, she carefully allowed the towel to pull out excess moisture before blowing it dry using a fine brush to remove tangles. One of Mila’s favorite things about Victor was having such a willing participant in her makeup and hair whims.

“So what kind of style do you want tonight?” she asked, once his hair was dried and protected. Running her fingers through his length she followed up, “Fancy a bit of a trim? You have some split ends.”

“Ah, yes to the trim, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Victor agreed, then decided, “and, dealer’s choice.”

Placing one hand on her hip and leaning into it while placing her free hand under her chin in deep thought she decided, “Double French braids sound good? They’ll keep well overnight.”

Victor nodded his agreement and settled in for the handful of minutes it took for Mila to trim his ends, separate the sides perfectly straight and then create perfectly symmetrical braids on either side of his head.

Just as she was finishing there was a quick knock to the door prior to its opening. Mila’s dad stuck his head in after receiving a “yeah!” from the other side, his eyes landing on the pair at his daughter’s vanity. “Oh, hi Victor, how are you?”

“I’m fine, Mr Babicheva,” Victor smiled and waved through the mirror. 

“Good to hear, we brought home extra pizza for dinner. It’s keeping warm in the oven when you’re hungry.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” Mila smiled, going to her father and giving him a ‘hello’ cheek kiss.

Before leaving, he commented, “Your makeup skills are really coming along, sweetheart. Victor looks really nice.” The teenagers looked at each other and broke out into giggles.

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Victor stood and walked out to the bed where his clothes were laid out. Shedding his robe, he was left in his black bikini briefs and socks for a moment before pulling on his body-hugging jeans. “So, show me your Satine dress?”

Mila laughed, a twinkle in her eye. “You’re so jealous, Victor. It’s a little unbecoming,” she teased him, but also humored him and retrieved the stunning red satin number from her closet.

Yanking a fitted black tee over his head, Victor shrugged as he smoothed it out over his chest and abs, then tugged his braids out and flipped them over his chest, “I can’t help it. It’s such a gorgeous dress. I don’t wanna be stupid Christian! I wanna make _out_ with him!” he whined and threw himself onto her bed in a faux tantrum. “And, I wanna wear that dress!”

“And, I’d rather wear your tux, but here we are, darling,” she said, hopping onto the bed next to Victor and leaning her head on his shoulder. “At least we can live vicariously through each other,” she sighed, grasping his hand.

Tilting his head and placing it on her crown, Victor shared her sigh and returned her grip. “That’ll have to do, I guess. For now.” Silence fell over the room as they both gazed at the red dress. 

Mila was the one to break it. “So, tell me about him.” She turned her head so her chin was on Victor’s shoulder, and she reached up to poke at his ear. When he started to object she said, “You don’t have to tell me his name, just tell me about _him_.”

Victor couldn’t help but break into a huge heart-shaped grin. Wrapping his arms around Mila and hugging her tight, they fell back onto the bed, Victor having broken into a fit of giggles. “He’s the sweetest boy at school,” he sighed, closing his eyes and conjuring Yuuri in his mind. “He’s shy, but protective. I always feel very safe with him.”

Snuggling her friend close and putting her head on his chest, Mila replied, “That’s wonderful, Victor.”

“ _He’s_ wonderful,” Victor said, dreamily. “He makes me feel like I could do anything. Like…” he paused and continued, carefully, “I could come out. I should do that at prom, don’t you think?”

Mila gasped and clung to him for a moment, holding her breath. “Really? He means that much to you?”

Victor nodded, rubbing Mila’s arms. “He does.”

“I’m really happy for you. Have you talked about what you’ll do after graduation? I mean, you’ll be able to get out of here once you’re drafted.” Victor sucked in a breath that Mila felt, causing her to lift up off of him. “What’s up?”

“I’m… I’m done with football. I’m giving up the draft,” he confessed. “I’d be miserable. And, I don’t think Yuuri would come with me.”

They both sat up and angled their bodies toward each other. Mila was only mildly surprised. She knew Victor didn’t really like playing, but she also knew Sergei and his relationship with Victor. Controlling put it mildly. “I’m so glad you said that, but don’t give up your career for Yuuri,” Mila warned, gently.

Victor shook his head and placed his hands on either side of her head, bringing her forehead close and put a warm kiss there. “I’ve never had any intention of going professional. Yuuri or no.”

Mila hugged Victor close, smiling wide. “That’s fantastic, babe. Just be careful.” She knew Sergei’s dreams for Victor, which basically meant Victor giving up himself for his father’s whims. Pulling out of their embrace Mila suggested they go down and get some food. Victor left first as Mila wanted to put her dress back into its garment bag. 

Then, she grabbed Victor’s jacket because she knew after they ate, he’d probably head home or to hang out with his mystery boyfriend. That’s when she noticed a dark brown hair on the collar. “Oh,” she smiled to herself, “he’s a brunette with semi-long hair. He’d better treat my Vitya nice, or else.” Tucking away that tiny bit of information, Mila departed from her room and joined everyone upstairs.

Handing Vicor some makeup wipes before he left, she gently reminded him, “Don’t forget to remove all that before you get home.”

***

The following Monday, Mila found herself preoccupied. Never had she thought she’d pay such close attention to any male other than Victor. She was on the hunt, though. This semi-long brown haired boy was her best friend’s boyfriend. Funny thing, however, there were a LOT of boys with semi-long brown hair who attended the school. Absently, she bit into a ketchup covered French fry.

“Mila, you seem unusually quiet today, everything alright?” Christophe asked over lunch. The cafeteria was packed, as usual, and as usual the jocks and cheerleaders had ‘their’ table occupied. A large clique divided into smaller cliques as each person paired off with whomever they felt most comfortable with. Mila’s comfort group consisted of: Victor, Christophe, Mickey, Sara, Georgi and Anya. Christophe tossed a clementine peel at Mila, hitting her in the face.

“Hey! Chris!” Mila squeaked, abruptly pulled from her reconnoiter. She threw her half eaten French fry at Christophe missing him entirely.

“What’s up? Who are you looking for?” Sara asked, scooting closer to her friend and putting her chin on Mila’s shoulder. “Chris is right, you’re quiet. What’s got you so preoccupied?”

Victor sat on the other side of Mila, minding his own business, inspecting a cookie a little too closely, completely in his own world. Mila glanced quickly at Victor and knew immediately _who_ he was thinking about. Smiling with a shrug, Mila replied, “No one, just taking stock of all the faces I’m going to miss after graduation.”

“Waaah! I _know_ , isn’t it crazy?!” Sara cried. “It’s our last year here,” she pretended to sob, but was genuinely sad this would be the last year they’d eat lunch at that table.

“Right?” Mila chirped, thrilled she’d successfully skirted the question. “Anyway, we should talk about _prom_ ,” she smiled, rubbing her hands together. Now she had everyone’s attention.

***

 _Time is a funny construct_ , Yuuri thought the night before prom. It seemed like just yesterday he stood in his room with Phichit, the latter making alterations to Yuuri’s long-tailed tuxedo jacket, waistcoat, and slacks. 

“Yuuri, when did your butt get so fine?” Phichit asked, slapping it as he giggled. Yuuri blushed at the memory. He couldn’t help it, it was simply the way his body formed taking self-defence classes. Something his folks decided couldn’t hurt after seeing what Mickey had done to him. And, in the long run, ended up simmering Mickey down for the most part. He’d still try, but Yuuri was no longer afraid of him. No, the only thing Yuuri was afraid of was ruining Victor’s future. So, he’d made a selfish decision.

 _Oof, what an odd reverie to fall into_. Yuuri shook the strange thought from his head as he took his time walking to Their spot. It was dusk when he arrived and he didn’t feel good, but he knew it was necessary. Ripping the band-aid off now was better, too, rather than waiting until the end of the school year.

As usual, Yuuri arrived first and he made himself comfortable on the hill that overlooked the town. _I probably won’t ever come here again after tonight._ The premise forced tears from his eyes until he heard the melodious, “Yuuuriii!” calling after him. Wiping away the tears and putting on his best face, Yuuri turned to gaze at perfection personified. And, he was about to break his heart.

“Victor,” he offered, his smile not reaching his ears. Yuuri stood up and met Victor halfway. There was no reason to draw this out. When Victor reached to hug and kiss Yuuri in their usual greeting, Yuuri pulled away, looking down. “We need to talk.”

Victor didn’t see it coming because he wanted to talk to Yuuri, too. “Mm! We do, Yuuri I want to-”

Yuuri’s heart sank a little. _He’s been thinking about breaking up, too. I knew it._ “Let’s end this,” Yuuri blurted and offered nothing more, taking off into the night.

“Eh?” Victor was stunned to say the very least.

Yuuri ran and didn’t look back. Because he knew if he did, he’d see the face of a man utterly destroyed. He didn’t have to look back, though, nor did he need to see. He heard it. The moment Victor’s heart shattered.

***

Why won’t his feet move? Why won’t his voice work? _No. No. This isn’t- No! Yuuri, come back!_ Victor tried to scream, tried to run, but not only would his feet not move, his body sank to his knees. And, the only sound he could manage was a scream he’d never known he could produce.

Victor didn’t know what to do. What did he do wrong? Oh, god. What- Victor couldn’t make heads or tails of anything. Mila. He’d go to Mila’s, she would know what to do. Absently and in a daze, Victor made his way to Mila’s house, barely rapping on the door to alert anyone to his presence. He didn’t know how long he sat on the steps just staring at nothing, but eventually someone noticed him and opened the door.

“Vitya? How long have you been sitting there? I wasn’t expecting you until-” Mila began, but when Victor turned to face her she became alarmed. “Oh my god, Vitya, what happened? Did Sergei-”

Falling helplessly into her arms, Victor began to wail, “He broke up with me! Y- He- Mila!!!”

“Oh, fuck.” Mila wrapped her arms around Victor and helped him up. “C’mon, let’s get you inside.”

Victor was spoon deep in his third pint of Chubby Hubby, hiccupping between bites and sobs. “I wanted Yuuri to be my Chubby Hubby,” he whined with a spoon in his mouth. His eyes were red and puffy, his hair wild, and his nose snotty. “What did I do, Mila? Why did he break up with me?” Victor hadn’t meant to let Yuuri’s name slip, he was just so distraught.

“He didn’t say anything?” Mila wanted nothing more than to go find Katsuki and drag him by his shaggy brown hair and throw him down in front of Victor and tell him how stupid and ridiculous it was to break up with Victor, but Victor came first.

Victor shook his head, staring into the pint of ice cream. “He just said, ‘let’s end this’ and took off.”

Mila sighed and rubbed Victor’s back. “That really isn’t much to go on, is it? And, you haven’t been fighting or anything?” Mila wondered if Yuuri wasn’t worried about something else. 

“No, it’s been really good. Simple. Perfect,” Victor whimpered, throwing the spoon in the empty pint. He fell back to Mila’s bed and stared helplessly at the ceiling, tears rolling down his temples into his hair.

Mila cuddled Victor as best she could, saying, “Well, obviously, you’re staying here tonight. We’ll go about our prom business as usual-”

“I’m _not_ going to prom.”

“Yes, you are,” she said in no uncertain terms, “and, you’re going to be the most gorgeous Christian there. Is Yuuri going to be there?”

Victor shrugged and turned his head away from Mila. “I don’t know. Probably, if Phichit has anything to say about it. So, I’m not-”

“You’re going to get him back, Victor. If it’s the last fucking thing I do,” Mila promised her best friend. “Unless you didn’t mean it when you said he made you feel like you could do anything?”

***

“Yuuri,” Phichit asked his best friend since grammar school as they sat in Yuuri’s room the night before prom, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Phichit,” Yuuri sighed, weighed down with sadness. “He was going to break up with me.”

“How do you know that?” Phichit wasn’t buying it. He didn’t think that was the best time to gloat about being right. Although, his tiny inner Phichit was doing a little dance inside. _I was_ **_right_** _. But who is this guy?_

“I just know. He can’t-” Yuuri caught himself from revealing the ‘who’ at the last moment. “He can’t follow the path laid out for him with _me_ in his life. If it wasn’t tonight, it would be later. Sooner was better than,” Yuuri reasoned, despite it feeling like lies on his tongue. Something somewhere inside was screaming at him that he'd made the hugest mistake of his life breaking up with Victor. But all Yuuri wanted was for Victor to be safe.

“You seem really sure about that.”

“I am, Phichit.”

“Don’t think for one single second this absolves you of going to prom,” Phichit said, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. “That isn’t an option.”

“Phichit!” 

“If you think I wore my fingers to the bone making this tuxedo fit you perfectly for you _not_ to wear it, you’ve got another think coming, sir,” Phichit said, haughtily. “You’re going.”

***

 _Spectacular! Spectacular! No words in the vernacular can describe this great event! You’ll be dumb with wonderment!_ Kept rolling through Yuuri’s mind when he entered the gymnasium. The transformation was… spectacular. Before entering the gym everyone had to show their student ID and take a slip to vote for Prom King and Queen. Yuuri didn’t even want to look at the slip, he knew the first names listed would be Victor’s and Mila’s. He even knew already that they’d win just like they had the last two years with or without his vote. He shoved the parchment in a pocket and forgot about it.

Yuuri thought so much red would be garish and loud, but it was somehow soothing and romantic. White lights twinkled as they dangled from the ceiling that had been decorated to resemble the inside of a circus tent. An iconic windmill with the words MOULIN ROUGE written in block helvetica loomed over a candy station. The elephant was the site where photos were taken to commemorate the occasion. Beneath the Eiffel Tower were the drinks and some more substantial snacks for the teenagers and chaperones to enjoy. Heart-shaped archways led from one area to the next, giving a kind of division between the seating/eating area and the dance floor/stage area.

Glamorous red and black runners decorated each table, the centerpieces small black top hats shimmering with rhinestones and flowing with ostrich feathers. The backdrop for the band was the Parisian night sky with a hot-air balloon floating off in the distance, lights twinkling delicately in the sky mimicking stars. A giant moon with a man in it, winked down at all those in attendance.

Keeping his promise to his best friend, Yuuri attended with Phichit. He thought wearing the tuxedo would be uncomfortable, but Phicht was a profoundly excellent seamstress and ensured Yuuri had the perfect fit. Yuuri had to admit that he looked pretty good in the long-tail coat with red waistcoat, white button-down and white bow-tie. Even the top hat was a fun accessory that gave his bored hands something to play with. 

His hair was slicked back from his face and Phichit had insisted Yuuri wear a pair of the contacts he knew Yuuri had stashed away for special occasions. He even let Phichit gloss his lips, blush his cheeks a little, and add some wings to his soulful brown eyes. 

‘Bold’ should have been Phichit's middle name. He was more conspicuous with his sexuality. Not that he wasn’t bullied in the same way, he was just so small that he was usually able to outrun and scramble away from danger when he saw it coming. Sometimes, Yuuri wondered if he himself didn’t subconsciously aggravate a situation just to get a rise out of people. He was less likely to scramble and run; he was much more likely to patronize and annoy.

Phichit knew most of the girls at prom would go for the can-can look or Satine’s classic red dress look. Which were both lovely ideas, but Phichit wanted to _really_ stand out. So, for weeks before prom was even announced, having insider knowledge about what the theme would be, Phichit began the painstaking job of sewing rhinestones mixed with Swarovski crystals onto a black velvet corset and bustle reminiscent of Satine’s Sparkling Diamonds dress. And, because of school rules - despite being one of the more progressive in their town - he added a long black crinoline half-skirt for modesty.

Long black opera gloves covered Phichit’s hands and forearms, slinking up over his elbows. A black top hat with Swarovski crystals wrapped around the base sat perched precariously atop his head - his fine black hair covered this evening in a bold red wig - at the perfect angle, his makeup: flawless. Phichit might just be wearing _the_ look of the night. When they walked in, Phichit’s head was raised and his smile was wide because all eyes were on him. He truly sparkled like a diamond.

And, while Yuuri himself looked every bit the stunner outwardly, inwardly his stomach churned and it felt as though he had a permanent frog stuck in his throat. It would be impossible not to see Victor there. He wasn’t really worried about the fact that Phichit had been almost immediately overrun by most of the girls there ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ over his stunning dress. Yuuri sort of knew that would happen when they walked in; he also knew that meant he was likely spending most of the dance at a table alone, drinking terrible fruit punch. At least his tuxedo was comfortable.

***

Victor hadn’t been entirely sold at first that he’d be able to have any fun at prom, but Mila had done her best to lift his spirits and convince him to not just give up on Yuuri. When he realized that he’d spilled his name to Mila in his distress, he almost puked. He hadn’t meant to, he was just so devastated. But then, Mila made a suggestion that he agreed to. It was just a matter of finding Yuuri, who so far had managed to keep himself hidden from view.

It was not difficult to find Phichit on the dance floor dancing with all the girls who had fallen in love with his look. Another amazing dress Victor gazed at longingly through inconspicuous side-eye glances. Ah, what he wouldn’t give to be as free as Phichit Chulanont at that precise second. Alas, there was no Yuuri nearby. Briefly, Victor feared Yuuri had managed to skip out on prom altogether convincing Phichit he’d be fine on his own.

“I haven’t seen him, Mila. I don’t think he’s here,” Victor whispered to her as they held each other through a slow dance. Victor also wore a long-tailed tuxedo with a wine colored waistcoat, white button-down shirt and white bow-tie. His long hair was hidden inside his top hat in a messy bun.

“He’s here, I had feelers out,” Mila said, conspiratorially looking around.

“Mila!” 

“Don’t worry, I’ve only asked to let me know if he’s been seen,” she reassured Victor. This was his secret to tell, not hers. Mila was acutely aware of that. She just hoped it would work out between Victor and Yuuri. The heartbreak she'd witnessed in Victor was unsettling and she was afraid of what might happen if it didn't.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, holding her close. His heart was racing with excitement and terror. Tonight would end one thing and start another, he hoped with Yuuri, but that wasn’t guaranteed. What if this had been Yuuri's plan all along?

“Yes,” Mila smiled and nodded. “Don’t! Don’t worry about me, Vitya. I will be fine,” she told him when she saw him open his mouth to object.

“Hey,” a deep voice interrupted the pair and they both turned toward Christophe. “He’s over in the seating area sitting alone at a table. It looks like he’s taking a nap?”

Victor and Mila looked at each other and blinked, confused.

***

“Yuuri!”

Suddenly, Yuuri snorted and fell out of his chair onto the ground. Looking around confused, he was grateful for the day/night lenses he wore. Blinking several times until they’d refreshed on their own, he swung his head around wondering what just happened.

“Did you _seriously_ fall asleep?!” Phichit cried, kicking Yuuri’s leg with a rhinestone heeled foot. “They’re about to announce King and Queen!”

Remembering right at the last moment that he had a bit of eye makeup, therefore aborting his face rub just in time, Yuuri responded, “I already know who is gonna win, Phichit-kun. It’s almost a joke that they make us vote.”

“I dunno, JJ and Isabella are a pretty cute couple, they could unseat the-”

“…this year’s King and Queen: Victor Nikiforov and Mila Babicheva!” the emcee announced with excited glee as the gymnasium erupted with applause.

“See? Can we go now?” Yuuri asked, finally standing and brushing himself off.

“ _We_ still have to take pictures! At least in the photo booth, I got a lot of fun group photos with some of the girls in the elephant,” Phichit replied, mercifully letting Yuuri off the hook for proper pictures.

“Fine, lead the way,” Yuuri conceded and smiled, then followed closely behind Phichit to the photo booth, ignoring what was happening on stage. The reigning King and Queen still hadn’t quite made it on stage, arriving there just as Yuuri and Phichit ducked into the photo booth.

The first three obligatory silly kissy face photos went off without a hitch, but by the last one, Yuuri’s face was pulled away looking toward the outside, confusion over his features. Another four images snapped showing Yuuri getting up and leaving the booth, Phichit looking then chasing after him, confusion on his own features. Even still, Phichit had the presence of mind to grab the snaps.

“Did I just hear your name?” Phichit asked, standing next to Yuuri looking around at everyone else who was also looking around. Murmuring rumbled through the crowd.

“I- I think so? But why-”

“Katsuki Yuuri, please come up to the stage!” Mila called out once more, her crown placed on her head and the mic in one hand, the other shielding her eyes from the bright lights. Next to her stood Victor, his top hat replaced with a crown as well. He looked stupidly beautiful in his tuxedo, making Yuuri’s heart ache and throb in his chest. _What is he doing? What are they doing?_

Before Yuuri could retreat, Phichit cried out, “He’s right here!!!” waving his arms frantically, pointing next to his friend.

“Ah! There he is! Please come on up!” Mila encouraged him with a broad smile and beckoning hand.

 _Oh fuck._ Yuuri knew Phichit would never allow him to bail on such a thing. And, he was right; the shove to his back propelled him forward indicating as much. So, with all the dignity he could muster, hating the feeling of every person watching him, he made the slow trip from the photo booth to the stage. He felt like a man on Death Row. What could possibly be happening? Was this some kind of payback for breaking up with Victor? Why wasn’t he running the other way? This _had_ to be the ultimate set-up.

Yuuri’s heart throbbed, threatening to crack open his chest and his legs felt like they might give out at any moment. Finally at his destination, Victor walked over and leaned into Yuuri, and whispered in his ear.

***

“We don’t have a lot of time and we have a lot to talk about, so I’ll just cut to the chase, do you mind if I kiss you right now?” Victor whispered in Yuuri’s ear, almost forgetting those simple words, Yuuri looked so amazing in his tuxedo. He thought his heart might beat out of his chest and he couldn’t stop trembling, but Victor really hoped Yuuri would- “Mmffphh… Mmm,” he sighed, shocked at first, soon sinking into Yuuri’s passionate but sweet kiss.

Yuuri’s hands held Victor’s face tenderly, while Victor wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s waist, drawing their bodies as close as they could afford. The crowd gasped then erupted with applause and squeals. Yuuri’s top hat pushed up a little bit, when the kiss broke and they pressed their heads together, smiling so deliriously happy. A string of saliva linking the pair was brilliantly highlighted by the twinkling lights around them.

“I thought you were going to break up with me,” Yuuri confessed, still breathless, his cheeks flushed red.

“You’re an idiot, then,” Victor quipped and kissed him again. “I was going to ask you to leave this godforsaken town with me.”

Yuuri pulled away surprised, but surprise quickly gave way to joy and he picked Victor up, spinning them around. “I’d love nothing more,” Yuuri sighed, finally, _finally_ holding his Vitya for everyone to see.

***

One wouldn’t have been able to slip the thinnest sheet of paper between the pair had one tried. The Nearness of You as sung by the live band lilted through the air, while Yuuri and Victor somehow took up the most space on the dance floor. Cheeks were pressed as close together as they could manage, fingers laced together rested between them a conduit for their racing hearts. Spare hands slide around a waist, the other up a back, holding them together as if they might separate by accident. To say their smiles were small would be an absolute fabrication.

“What the hell is going on?” Mickey asked, unable to keep his mouth closed at the event that unfurled at his feet.

Christophe wrapped an arm around Mickey’s shoulders and sighed, dreamily, “Objects in the mirror may be gayer than they appear, mon cher.”

Georgi and Anya had their arms wrapped around each other, hearts in their eyes, smiles tickling their ears. “Now _that’s_ true love,” Georgi exhaled, nuzzling a reciprocating and agreeable Anya.

Mila and Sara held onto each other, watching Victor and Yuuri dreamily, doing nothing to contain their squeals and groans of how sweet Yuuri and Victor looked together. “My _god_ Yuuri compliments Victor in an amazing way!” Sara sighed, hugging Mila. “Ahhh!”

“I agree,” Mila shared in the dreamy sigh. “Yuuri’s just lucky he unbroke Victor’s heart because I was about to rampage.”

***

“Don’t you ever leave me again,” Victor demanded in a whisper in Yuuri’s ear.

“I won’t,” Yuuri promised just as quietly.

“You better not.”

“I won’t, Vitya, I promise.”

“Good,” Victor smiled and pulled away from Yuuri, tugging on his hand. “Let’s go take a commemorative photo, shall we?” he nodded toward the gigantic elephant.

“Anything you want,” Yuuri replied, complying easily with Victor’s whim. Whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Yuuri knew then that he was in fact destined to be with Victor. No matter what. 

They posed in a handful of ways: typical facing and holding each other and looking at the camera, smiling; back-to-back with their arms crossed over their chests, also smiling this time giving a cheeky wink; same back-to-back, but this time both hands up in finger gun James Bond fashion, each with a sassy eyebrow raised; another one facing each other while still looking out at the camera, but they both had their top hats in a hand that stretched out in front of them as they leaned forward, the free and empty hand lifting slightly behind them; the final and probably Victor’s favorite pose was when Yuuri scooped him up like a bride and stared longingly at him with the biggest smile on his face.

Being in love felt amazing. So amazing that they didn’t want to part. Both afraid the spell would break, they clutched each other’s hands for dear life. “I don’t want tonight to end,” Yuuri said, quietly as they wandered away from the elephant.

“Neither do I, Yuuri,” Victor said, squeezing his hand. “What can we do about that? We can’t just leave our dates,” he noted with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

“I know,” Yuuri sighed as he fiddled with Victor’s fingers. “We could ask?” He looked into Victor’s eyes, hopefully.

Victor’s eyes widened as did his smile. “I was hoping you’d say that! I’ll go find Mila?”

“I’ll go find Phichit.” Yuuri kissed Victor again on the lips before taking off to find his friend, leaving Victor standing pleasantly stunned by the sweet kiss he was just given before he too went to find Mila.

***

Phichit, Mila, Christophe, Georgi, Anya, and Sara sat around a table, huddled around Phichit. Having already gushed properly over each other’s gowns and how dashing those who wore tuxedos looked in them, they were all now looking at the images Phichit grabbed from the photo booth. “This is when he first heard his name,” Phichit laughed, pointing at the fourth photo. “And, this is me wondering where my date was going…”

Everyone giggled over the photos, Mila relieved things had worked out the way they had, Georgi and Anya were still more interested in each other, Christophe and Sara only mildly surprised about Victor - Mickey was off sulking somewhere having been hit the hardest by the news - and Phichit absolutely elated that not only did Yuuri have a _good_ boyfriend, he had the _best_ boyfriend. He couldn’t _wait_ until Yuuri’s parents found out.

“So, did you know he and Victor were an item?” Mila asked, Phichit, curiously.

Shaking his head, Phichit replied, “Nn, I had a feeling he was seeing someone, but I never would have guessed it was _Victor_.” Leaning close to Mila, looking around to see who was in earshot, Phichit added, “You two really had me believing you’d get married and have _all_ the babies!”

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, proudly, Mila straightened, angling her head just so. “Thank you. Mr DeMille, I’m ready for my close up!”

“What about you guys?” Phichit posed the question, casting a look at Sara, who seemed to be _really_ eyeing Mila, and then at Christophe who seemed to be _really_ eyeing…him? Phichit felt blush creep across his cheeks, neck, and ears. The smile that followed couldn’t have been stopped even if he wanted to.

“Mm, I thought Victor’s relationship with Mila was a bit…” Christophe offered, not taking his eyes off Phichit, but still obviously choosing his words carefully, finally he decided on, “Chaste. And, long. Horny teenagers in love can’t stop touching each other, and they acted like brother and sister. Have any of us seen them kiss? No.”

Sara’s expression was one part relief and one part confusion. “They had me fooled,” she sighed, staring longingly at Mila. Suddenly, however, her expression changed and a flush fell across her cheeks. What nobody else could see was Mila grasping Sara’s hand beneath the table.

***

Yuuri and Victor found the group at the same time, taking a moment to process the sight. Slight confusion simultaneously fell across their features as they both then looked up to search the other out, their eyes capturing their destined mates immediately. Sharing in a cheeky grin, they closed the distance to the table and therefore each other, clasping hands as soon as they could.

“Fellas,” Christophe said, offering his own cheeky grin as he leaned back in his seat, draping his long arms over the back of two of them as he spread out. “So, this is quite the turn of events.” His eyes sparkled with mirth.

“Chris,” Victor replied, blushing. “Ye-yes, it is, I suppose. Uhm, everyone, this is Yuuri,” he said, introducing Yuuri to his friends.

“Hi, Yuuri,” they all replied, amused.

Nervously, he bowed slightly to everyone. “H-hello.”

Victor turned to Mila and cleared his throat, asking, “Hey, Mila, do you mind if-”

“Victor, if you think I’m taking you home tonight, you’re crazy,” Mila laughed as she stood to hug him.

“I also refuse to leave with you, Yuuri,” Phichit retorted, dramatically crossing his arms over his chest and turning his back to Yuuri in a playful huff. “I guess you’ll just have to ask Victor,” he shrugged, innocently.

Already in sync the new pair replied, “Thanks, guys.”

***

Victor and Yuuri left their top hats, waistcoats and tailcoats, and Victor’s crown with their new group of friends, while Mila reminded him about the blanket in her trunk that he was welcome to. Victor had worried about Mickey, but Sara reassured him that she would work with Mickey to get him to come around and see the error of his ways. Refusing to hear another word on it, the large group of friends turned the couple away for their own good.

To the surprise of neither, they found themselves at the spot where everything important between them happened. The hill. Walking there together hand-in-hand was a delightful thrill in itself, but sitting next to each other at that moment - they knew everything had changed. For better or worse. Yuuri tossed the blanket into a spread, giving the couple a softer surface to sit on.

“You really thought I was going to break up with you?” Victor asked, daring to breach the comfortable silence they’d fallen into just overlooking the town. This time Victor sat between Yuuri’s legs and leaned against his chest, both of his hands playing with the fingers of one of Yuuri’s hands. He could feel the slight shrug in Yuuri’s body.

“Yeah,” was all Yuuri could say.

“You’re a dummy, Yuuri.” That’s all Victor offered, not moving from his comfortable spot.

“I suppose in a weird way I thought I was keeping you safe,” Yuuri offered as an explanation, not an excuse. Resting his chin on Victor’s head, he sighed and closed his eyes. “You wouldn’t have to come out and your dad-” Victor became rigid in Yuuri’s arms. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get hurt, Vitya. I really don’t know what I’d do.”

“It’s only a few more months until we graduate,” Victor said, curling up in Yuuri’s lap, “and then, we can leave this place forever. Somewhere he can’t touch us.”

“Malta,” Yuuri murmured, wrapping his arms around the snugglebunny in his arms.

“Malta?”

“Mm, it’s one of the safest places outside of the US for our community,” Yuuri told Victor. “And, there’s no American football,” he smirked. “We'll have to do some saving, but…”

“Malta…” Victor repeated the name with wonder, making a mental note to Google it later. “Wherever you go, I will follow.”

“That’s my line,” Yuuri snorted. 

Victor turned over in Yuuri’s lap, his bow-tie long untied and dangling around the collar of his unbuttoned shirt, very similarly to Yuuri’s. “Yuuuuuriii~,” he purred, nuzzling into Yuuri’s neck, nipping at it. “How about we stop talking altogether?” 

Victor did not wait for an answer. No, he claimed Yuuri’s mouth in the devastating kiss he’d longed to claim it in all night since they’d shared their kiss on stage, swallowing the grunt Yuuri created. Slinking his tongue into Yuuri’s mouth, it was immediately greeted by its mate pressing flatly against it before swirling in the opposite direction. Their sensual dance commencing in the small, hot space between their mouths.

Victor opened Yuuri’s shirt, untucking as he unbuttoned each button with teasing care, Yuuri’s body half-mooned as he reached for Victor’s kiss. Yuuri’s pants stood little chance against the lithe fingers of Victor Nikiforov and were similarly pried open, exposing his swollen erection. Yuuri was helpless beneath him, his body heavy with lust and the need for Victor to continue. He keened and fell back onto his elbows when Victor swallowed his cock, Victor’s lips meeting Yuuri’s hips in one fluid motion.

It was a different blow job from the others Yuuri had received from Vicor during their relationship. Victor was taking more time and care, worshipping, if you will, but in no hurry to make Yuuri cum, which was almost always Victor’s goal. And, he was usually impatient about it. But after paying homage for what felt like forever to Yuuri, Victor popped off of him, panting. His eyes were dark as tears ran down his cheeks that were flush from being hollowed out and lust. 

Those gorgeous pink lips were swollen from exertion, and pushed the most beautiful question from them. “Yuuri, will you make love to me?”

***

Something inside Yuuri snapped. “O-ou-out here?” he managed to gasp and his fingers dug into the ground beneath him.

“Where else?” Victor mewed, unbuttoning the rest of the buttons on his own shirt as he untucked it, as he straddled Yuuri’s hips. Yuuri swallowed hard when Victor’s shirt and tie slipped from his shoulders and the moonlight highlighted everything ethereal about Victor. It made his platinum hair sitting like a crown on his head shimmer and his alabaster skin look absolutely sinful.

Swiftly, Yuuri captured Victor’s mouth in a passionate kiss in the same moment that he sloughed his own shirt, the tie falling silently to the blanket beneath them. Once free from the offending garment, Yuuri cupped Victor’s face, gently and nipped at his bottom lip. “If you’re sure,” he said, breathless.

Victor nodded, digging in his pocket, pulling out a couple condoms and a small bottle of lube, and dumped them into Yuuri’s lap. “I’m sure, Yuuri.”

Yuuri felt the items before he saw them. The disruption in his lap was enough to pull his attention down and his brows furrowed in surprise. “You came prepared,” he said, teasingly, but definitely taken aback. In the meantime, Yuuri tugged Victor’s hair free so it spilled down over his chest and down his back.

Victor bit his bottom lip and blushed, settling into Yuuri’s lap, Yuuri’s hand resting casually on his hips. “I…didn’t.” His eyes averted, avoiding Yuuri’s.

Yuuri encouraged Victor to look at him again. “Then…” 

“So, remember before we left the gym, Chris shook my hand and gave me that half hug?” Victor asked as a reminder to Yuuri. When he received a nod in the affirmative, Victor continued, “He had these in his hand, and whispered to me that it looked like I would probably need these more than he would tonight,” he finished, sheepishly. He was biting his lip so hard, Yuuri worried he might bite right through it. 

Crimson was such a lovely shade on Victor, Yuuri decided as he grinned up at him and gently tugged his bottom lip from between his teeth. “How kind of him.” Scooping the items out of his lap and tossing them aside, Yuuri leaned forward and lifted Victor by gripping up high on his thighs. Capturing his lips again, Yuuri set Victor on his back, maneuvering himself into a more comfortable position.

Yuuri broke the kiss and left his first mark of the night on Victor’s supple neck just below his earlobe. While he marked his Victor, Yuuri worked Victor out of the remaining garments, except his socks and garters. There was something about those that tweaked Yuuri’s cock.

“You look really sweet right now, Vitya,” Yuuri murmured, gazing down at an incredibly vulnerable Victor, framed like a woodland elf by his celestial platinum hair; his thick cock twitching, precum dripping from the cherry pink tip. The way it bobbed, Yuuri couldn’t help but lean down and take it into his mouth, the salty sweetness of Victor hitting his tongue awakening his senses. “Mmnnmm.”

***

Victor’s voice hitched in his throat, his mouth merely parting no sound escaping at first. Fingers sank into Yuuri’s hair, massaging the scalp before fisting it tightly, as his eyes gazed up at the clear sky and stars twinkling down on them. He felt Yuuri’s fingers lace with his own and he sighed, when Yuuri sucked the sensitive tip of his member and teased it with his tongue. “Yuuuriii~,” Victor groaned, his legs slipping easily over Yuuri’s shoulders.

A hand found Victor’s thigh, holding it in place as he bobbed up and down. Soon, though, he was sucking a deep purple mark into the inside of that graceful thigh. Victor whimpered from the loss of Yuuri’s warm mouth from his agonizingly hard rod. It hadn’t really sunk in what he had requested of Yuuri until he heard the cracking open of the bottle of lube and he began to tremble.

“Vitya, are you-?” Yuuri sensed the tension in Victor’s body and halted his own movements.

“I-” Victor swallowed hard but continued, “I’m a little scared, Yuuri.”

Yuuri pulled away and smiled softly down at Victor, looking so lovely and flushed. Knowing he’d have all the time in the world with Victor, he stroked Victor’s cheek and told him, “We can stop. We have time, Vitya.”

Victor stared up at Yuuri, but he didn’t know how wide his eyes were. Or how abused his worried lip was. Or how beautiful Yuuri found him no matter what. “What if I’m never ready?”

Yuuri kissed Victor’s forehead sweetly, and replied, “That’s fine, too.” He removed Victor’s legs from his shoulders and rolled Victor onto his side. Draping one of their shirts over Victor’s lower half, Yuuri then drew him tight against his chest, so they were both on their side. “I love _you_ , Vitya.”

“You’re not mad?” Victor asked, his voice barely above a whisper, tugging Yuuri’s arms around him.

Yuuri chuckled softly and kissed Victor behind his ear. “Of course I’m not mad.”

“Disappointed, then?”

“Not even a little. You’ve never been a disappointment, Vitya,” Yuuri assured him.

“Sergei would-”

“Shhh, hey,” Yuuri shushed Victor by turning his face toward him and kissing him. Upon breaking it, he told Victor, “Sergei has no power over you.”

Victor burst into tears and rolled over onto his other side, so he was facing Yuuri and buried his face in Yuuri’s chest. “Thank you…for…coming back, Yuuri.”

“I was stupid to leave.” Yuuri cradled Victor, tenderly stroking his hair until they both fell asleep. “It will never happen again.”

***

Yuuri woke first. And, to the most pleasant moment he’d ever woken up to. Victor was curled protectively in his arms, his nimble fingers playing over his chest and Victor still quite asleep but giggling all the same. His hair sprawled over his shoulder like a whimsical kind of blanket, making him look tenuous. Eventually, much to Yuuri’s chagrin, nature called and required an answer. Right _then_.

Groaning, displeased he had to untangle himself from Victor, Yuuri did his best not to stir him, but was unsuccessful. A whine escaped Victor as he reached out and patted beside him for Yuuri. Not finding him by touch, Victor opened his eyes to see Yuuri not far away, urinating. Lifting himself up onto an elbow, he leaned into his fist and grinned, whistling.

Yuuri laughed, shaking himself dry and tucking himself in. “Ah, didn’t mean to wake you, gomen,” he said, sitting back down next to Victor and greeting him with a good morning kiss. “Ohayou, Vitya.” 

“Dobroye utro, Lyubov’ moya,” Victor replied, shyly. After taking care of his own bladder and redressing, sort of, Victor suggested they go over to Mila’s house. “We’ll be able to spend some more time together, if you want.”

“I’d love it,” Yuuri smiled, shaking the blanket out, then folding it. “Will she be okay with it, though? I don’t want to impose, I mean,” Yuuri paused, now nervous himself, “I sort of broke you two up.”

Victor laughed. A genuine, sunny laugh and gripped his sides. “You’re really cute with that. You were here first.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Yuuri conceded. “Well, the least I could do is return her blanket. Come with me?”

***

Arriving at Mila’s house they didn’t even have to ring the doorbell or knock. Chris threw the door open, a huge smile on his face. “I happened to see you two walking up! Come in! We’re all _dying_ to hear about your night!” he said, ushering the two men inside without a word between them. “Everyone is down in Mila’s room,” he told them, but heading toward the kitchen. “I was just getting us some drinks, what would you like?”

Settling on having whatever everyone else was having, Yuuri and Victor made their way down the staircase to Mila’s bedroom. Yuuri followed, uncertain behind Victor down a staircase into what amounted to a one-bedroom apartment short of having a kitchen; Victor clearly knew this house like the back of his hand. 

“There’s the restroom if you need to use it,” Victor mentioned, casually as they walked past it and around a corner that would open into Mila’s room. A large sitting area with large comfy couches and an oversized bean bag or two placed strategically around a long coffee table, also housed a decent entertainment system and gas fireplace. Yuuri assumed one of the closed doors led to an equally impressive bedroom. Truly, the only thing missing was in fact a kitchen and a pool table. 

“Vitya!” Mila cried, when she looked up and saw Victor instead of Chris whom she was expecting back with drinks. “Is Yuu- Ah, Yuuri! I’m so glad you’re both here!” she said, jumping up and running over to them. Hugging them both individually Yuuri was the only one caught off-guard by the sudden affection.

“Oh, ah, hello,” he stuttered in her embrace. He wasn’t used to being hugged by anyone but Victor. His eyes flicked to Victor for reassurance and got it in the form of a broad and happy heart-shaped smile.

“Everyone, this is Yuuri,” Victor began the introductions, a bit more formally this time, “Yuuri, you know everyone, but officially this is Mila my-” pausing thoughtfully and placing a single digit on his chin as he closed his eyes, he opened them and continued, “best fake girlfriend, ah, you met Christophe upstairs, but most everyone calls him ‘Chris,’ and that’s Sara, Georgi and Anya. Don’t mind the latter two, they’re almost always canoodling. And, obviously you know Phichit, duh.” 

Nervously, Victor pulled his hair over his shoulder and started twirling it around his fingers. _Interesting,_ Yuuri thought, _I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this nervous. It’s really cute._ “It’s nice to meet everyone,” he offered everyone a slight bow, relieved that Mickey wasn’t there. He wasn’t sure how that was going to shake out, but at least he knew the majority of Victor’s group was accepting.

“Please! Make yourself at home,” Mila insisted, grabbing them both by their wrists and pulling them to their circle on the floor. It was a bit overwhelming for Yuuri, but having Victor next to him, holding his hand made the situation bearable.

“Yuuuuriiii!” Phichit cried, quickly crawling across the floor and tackling his friend to the ground. Okay, Phichit was also sometimes overly affectionate with Yuuri, but he didn’t hate it. 

Laughing and hugging Phichit back, he moaned, “You’re too heavy!”

Gasping, playfully offended, Phichit sat up. “Oh, I see! Now that your boyfriend is no longer a secret, I can’t tackle hug my BFF anymore?”

“That’s not-” Yuuri tried to defend, but Phichit laughed and rolled off of him and they both sat up.

“Seriously, though, Yuuri. _Victor?!_ ” Phichit whisper squealed, grabbing Yuuri’s arm and shaking him violently. “ _Are you kidding me?!_ **_He’s the secret boyfriend?!_ ** I’m dead. Dead!” Acting as though he’d been shot, he fell back to the ground, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

Just then Chris returned with beverages for everyone. “Mila, your dad is quite the silver fox these days,” he mentioned, casually as he joined the circle and set the tray on the nearby coffee table.

Mila huffed, tearing her attention away from Sara for half a second, “Chris, don’t you dare try to fuck my dad!” And, when Chris went to retort she stopped him. “OR my mom!”

Well, that was a load of information shoved into Yuuri’s brain he’d never quite anticipated. If he wasn’t actively interested in them, Yuuri’s curiosity about one’s sexuality was less than zero. So, to discover quite off-handedly that Chris was bisexual at the very least was news to Yuuri. Although, taking the time to really consider Chris, it wasn’t terribly surprising, never mind that at the end of the day it didn't matter. That Mila had to keep him from trying to swing a threesome with her folks, however, was a bit surprising.

Everyone else seemed to find the joke hilarious and Mila didn’t look or appear distressed at all. Perhaps this was one of those inside jokes he’d come to understand with time. That’s when Yuuri noticed Chris sitting quite close to Phichit and their knees brushing against the other’s. _Hmm._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for spending your time with me!
> 
> Thank you for your comments and kudos! You encourage me so much!
> 
> Chapter Title: The Nearness of You - Norah Jones
> 
> Dobroye utro, Lyubov’ moya - Good morning my love in Russian


	3. (Be My Savior, I’ll Be Your) Downfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victuuri and the gang spend prom weekend together at Mila's house, Victor and Yuuri freely basking in the attention of the other. But the afterglow quickly fades when Monday rolls around and they all return to school. Victor's usual greeting is starkly different when there are whispers and jeers insteads of swooning and cheers. Fortunately, Yuuri is there to help him navigate school.
> 
> Unfortunately, Yuuri is *not* there to help him navigate Sergei. Not at first.
> 
> Sergei is about to learn not to put his hands on Yuuri's Vitya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAMF Yuuri has entered the chat.
> 
> TW// homophobic language/graffiti, homophobia, non-graphic allusion to past homophobic beating, racial slur
> 
> CW// violence against a teenager, forced haircutting

In the grand tradition of proms, no one had to be home as they were all “staying over at -insertbestfriendnamehere-’s house for the weekend,” so no one was expected home again until Monday after school. Mila’s parents didn’t seem to mind having a plethora of teenagers cohabitating at their house during prom weekend. Every so often, Mr or Mrs Babicheva would check on them to ensure they were on their best behavior or that they had enough snacks and beverages.

“Mila, your parents are so nice,” Phichit sighed, after her mother left the basement once again.

“They have their moments,” Mila conceded with a shrug and continued to braid Sara’s hair.

Victor agreed, his head comfortable in Yuuri’s lap. “Her parents are pretty great. They’ve always made me feel like family,” he said, wistfully. “I’ve always felt very safe here.”

“Aww, Vitya,” Mila whined and reached out to pat his shoulder. “That makes me really happy. I guess they aren’t so bad, then.”

Silently, Yuuri combed his fingers through Victor’s long locks, a small smile on his lips. Victor had the best group of friends. Phichit seemed to also fit right in, which made Yuuri that much happier because he would need people around when he and Victor left town.

“So, BFF,” Phichit began, whipping his head toward Yuuri with an accusatory glare, “how long has _this_ ,” he waved his index finger up and down between Yuuri and Victor, “been a thing?”

Suddenly, all eyes were on them and Yuuri gulped, his fingers pausing mid-stroke in Victor’s hair.

“Since our freshman year!” Victor chirped, proudly pumping both fists in the air. Yuuri choked and coughed.

“What?!” Was the general consensus in the room. Even Mila who had been fake dating Victor since their sophomore year.

“Mm, for some reason it took some convincing,” Victor shrugged.

With all eyes on Yuuri again, it was then he realized no one was really present when Mickey kicked the shit out of him for his crush on Victor. It hadn’t happened at school, Yuuri was ambushed on his way home. Mari was the only other person who _really_ knew what happened between Mickey and Yuuri that day being the one who patched him up. Yuuri never saw the point in ratting Mickey out, so to speak. He dealt with it in his own way.

When Yuuri didn’t offer anything in response Victor craned his neck up to him and asked, “Why did you play so hard to get, Yuuri?”

“I…” Yuuri sighed. “I thought you were trying to set me up to get my ass kicked,” was all he offered. “It had happened before and let’s be honest you’re _you_. No way you were _actually_ interested in _me_. It was too convenient.”

Victor sat up, offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Yuuri grasped Victor’s hands and brought them to his lips to kiss. “Are you completely unaware how perfect you are? I’m just this lump-”

Victor put a hand over Yuuri’s mouth. “Not another word. _You’re_ perfect, dummy!” Victor leapt onto Yuuri and started smooching him affectionately.

Everyone watching the spat unfold had little hearts in their eyes and were squealing, hugging each other. “They’re so cute!!!”

The following Monday at school, everything would change.

***

On the outside, the building they had entered hundreds of times before looked exactly the same. Same sidewalks, same lawn, same flag pole, same steps, same doors, same building. Same group of kids filtering in from the outside making the same noises they always did.

The new group of friends arrived together after spending an excellent weekend at Mila’s home. Mickey was still MIA, having ignored Sara’s attempts to get in touch with him. Entering the corridor, Phichit and Yuuri broke off from Victor (not before sharing a quick ‘see you later’ kiss) and everyone else. 

At first Victor didn’t notice it because he’d never encountered it before. But the deeper into the belly of the school they walked, the louder the whispers became. The stares carried a different weight in them. Gone were the squeals and sighs of elation for the Prom King who came out during prom, replaced with the turning heads that seemed to bore holes through his very being. Like Cinderella at midnight, Victor seemed to have lost the magic of his fairy godmother over the weekend.

“Gosh, poor Mila,” one voice murmured, “how humiliating for her, why is she still hanging out with him?”

“I can’t believe he’s _gay_? He doesn’t _look_ **gay**! Oh, what a _shame_.”

“Who knew fags could play football?”

“So wait, that _wasn’t_ a joke?”

“Well, he _does_ like to braid his hair.”

“Fuck you, Nikiforov, you fucking _queer_!”

Suddenly, people bumped into him on purpose, glaring at him as they passed by, challenging him to do something about it. Balled up pieces of paper were thrown at the group while they tried to get to their lockers.

Though, by the time Victor got to his, he was greeted with yet another rude surprise. His locker, which was usually decorated by fans with his number or footballs or Toros had the word: FAGGOT scrawled across the door of his locker in bright red lettering, the wet paint dripping making it look all the more sinister.

“Oh…” Mila sighed, covering her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. “Victor, I’m-”

Victor shook his head and refused to let the tears burning in his own eyes escape and give anyone the satisfaction. “It is what it is, Mila,” he said, twisting the combination lock this way and that until the door swung open. “If this is the price I have to pay to be happy, then so be it.” _It’s only for a few months, anyway._ Slamming the door shut, Victor was suddenly greeted by the face of Mickey.

And, he looked _livid._ “Who did this?” Mickey asked, staring at Victor’s locker door.

“Mickey…” Victor muttered, looking around a bit awkwardly. He still wasn’t privy to what Mickey had done to Yuuri, but he had seen how horribly Mickey had behaved toward him otherwise. So, needless to say his following action was a bit surprising.

Without saying another word to Victor, Mickey turned on the leering crowd and promised, in a voice he reserved for people hitting on Sara, “ _When_ , not **if** , but **_when_ ** I find the person or people responsible for _THIS_ ,” for effect he pointed at the vandalized door, “I’m gonna strip them down to nothing, and duct tape their naked body or bodies to the _fucking Main St. flag pole_!!!”

Who could say who was the most stunned? What had brought on this one hundred eighty degree change? “Mick-” Victor started, but Mickey balled a fist up and raised it, Victor flinched expecting to get slugged for the first time ever in his life, but Mickey just held it about chest height and not in a threatening manner. _Ah_ , Victor realized and offered a small smile as well as his fist in a bump.

“See you guys at lunch,” he tossed back, glaring at everyone around him. Catching the eye of one student in particular - no one special - he feigned a lunge at him, causing the student to stumble and fall down.

By lunchtime things had settled down to a dull roar. He was still receiving the glares and hearing the murmurs, but people had kept their distance since Mickey’s threat. Their usual table was emptier than usual, their core group taking up the majority of it with the addition of Yuuri and Phichit.

“Has it been like this all day for you?” Yuuri asked, sensing the shift in the tide. Their schedules actually didn’t coincide at all, so aside from lunch and before classes, they didn’t see each other much during the day. Yuuri wasn’t aware until then what was on Victor’s locker door that morning.

Victor kept his head down and shrugged. “Yeah, it’s no big deal,” he choked out a whisper.

Yuuri gazed at his love and dared to ask him, “Do you regret it?”

Victor’s head snapped up and in earnest he replied, “Not for a second! It’s just… Is this what _you_ have been dealing with? All by yourself? All this time?”

Blinking, Yuuri replied, “I mean…yeah, and I used to get beaten up quite a bit,” he said, thinking about it, “but once I showed them they couldn’t get a rise out of me anymore, they stopped. For the most part.”

Mickey snorted, staring at his tray of food. Everyone turned their attention on him, curious. When it remained quiet for a second too long, he looked up to see that all eyes were on him. Except Yuuri’s. “Ah, that’s some code of honor,” Mickey noted, a soft grin on his lips. “That Yuuri hasn’t said anything, I guess, shouldn’t surprise me.”

That shifted everyone’s attention to Yuuri as though they were watching a tennis ball volley. “What good would it do?” he said, not giving an inch. “It doesn’t matter at this point, anyway. It’s water under the bridge, Mickey.”

Silent, Mickey nodded in understanding. “Thanks. Definitely more than I deserve.”

“I swear to Ewan McGregor if someone doesn’t spill the goods I’m gonna-” Chris started to complain, but just then Yuuri’s hand shot up behind Victor’s head catching a wayward roll.

Roll in hand, Yuuri slowly turned his head and made eye contact over the same shoulder with the obvious perpetrator giving themself away with wide, shocked eyes. “Excuse me a minute, will you?” he said, standing and leaving the table.

“Yu-” Victor called after him, everyone watching Yuuri stalk the idiot who threw the roll. 

They couldn’t hear what Yuuri was saying because he wasn’t erratic. Calm as a cucumber, Yuuri seemed to have a quick back and forth with the roll thrower until suddenly, Yuuri’s foot came up then down very quickly and harshly on the kid’s foot, causing him to cry out. When the kid opened his mouth, however, Yuuri shoved the roll in his mouth, held his hand over it for several seconds, and eyed the rest of the table. 

Again, Yuuri uttered something their own table could not hear, but everyone around the kid nodded in furious agreement. Yuuri removed his hand from the kid’s mouth and just as calmly made his way back to the table.

Mickey looked impressed. “I’m starting to like this kid.”

When he sat back down he resumed eating as though what had just manifested hadn’t. “What the fuck did you say to them?” Victor gasped, his eyes sparkling with wonder.

“I simply assured them if they kept fucking with you, they’d never see me coming,” Yuuri replied, winking and grinning at Victor. “I’m used to this shit, you’re not. I’ll make anyone who messes with you sorry they did, I just made sure _they_ knew that. That kid used to play baseball.”

“Oh, Katsuki Yuuri, marry me,” Victor said, swooning and putting his head on his shoulder.

“After we graduate, yeah?”

Victor popped up off his shoulder and asked, shocked, “You mean it?”

“Well, you should probably meet my folks and sister first.”

***

The rest of Victor’s school day progressed rather smoothly, though he still kept his head down for the most part, the promise to meet Yuuri at Mila’s after school around 3:30 kept Victor’s spirits up.

Dropped off in front of his house as per usual by one of Mila’s parents, Victor waved goodbye after promising Mila that he’d be by her place within the hour. It wouldn’t take long to shower and change. Victor wanted to look his absolute best when he met Yuuri’s family later that day. He was so excited to meet them finally. He really hoped they liked him.

Victor was so distracted walking up the walkway to the door to his house that he didn’t notice the fresh coat of paint on their garage door.

Entering without alerting Sergei to his presence on a school day almost never happened, so when he didn’t hear his name bellowed as soon as he walked in, Victor breathed a sigh of relief. His mother was almost certainly napping, so he would shower and change first before kissing her goodbye for the night.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Victor made his way to his room, set his bag down and stripped for his shower after deciding on what to wear to meet Yuuri’s family. A maroon button-down and black fitted jeans. His shower was quick yet thorough. He didn’t bother to dry his hair because Mila would deal with it for him later.

Victor had just buttoned the final button on his shirt when Sergei entered his room unannounced. Victor hadn’t even heard him enter he only noticed when he turned around to grab his bag to leave. “Oh, hi, Papa,” he offered, trying to avoid his father’s stare.

“Victor,” Sergei began, wiping his hands with a towel he had in his hands. “Do you know what I spent the better part of today doing?” he asked in his thick Russian. Sergei was not a small man, just shy of six foot, a little less than eighty-four kilos. He emanated the kind of energy that filled a room in spite of his average size.

Victor, struck by the odd question, he shook his head, and replied in his own, softer Russian, “N-no, Papa. What did you do today?” The question was innocent enough and Victor couldn’t have seen it coming. It was confusing. The sudden sharp pain in the side of his face and blinding white light. He was used to getting sacked by another human while wearing a helmet, but never had he ever been suckerpunched by anyone. Not even his father. 

Stunned, Victor fell hard to the ground. “Wh-what-?” There was ringing in his ears and his vision blurred.

“You think I would let a _deviant_ live in **my** house?!” Sergei screamed and grabbed Victor by his shirt, lifting him off the ground only to punch him in the face and drop him to the ground again. “It’s that goddamn fairy hair of yours!” Enraged, Sergei grabbed Victor by his hair and dragged him, kicking and screaming out of his bedroom and down the stairs.

“Papa! PAPA!!” He felt every step he was raked over. His shoulders, ribs, pelvis, all thumped unceremoniously as Sergei savagely dragged Victor. “Let go! Let GO!!” Victor’s mind spun with terror and it felt like his hair was being pulled out at the root. What happened? How did he find out? Who told him? “Papa!!!” he cried. When Victor saw the shears in his father’s hand, he shrieked, “No, NO!! Papa, _please_ **_nooo_**!!!”

“Sergei! What are you doing?!” Anna heard the commotion and woke from her nap. The scene before her was horrific. Her son’s face was bloody and bruised, and Sergei was slicing off his long beautiful locks with fabric shears.

“Mama!!!” Victor screamed, trying to get away from his father but Sergei slapped him and pointed the shears threateningly at his wife. “I will shave your head _bald_ if you take one step closer, woman!”

“Sergei, please! Why?!”

“Our son is a fucking faggot!!!!” he screamed and cut off the final long beautiful strand of Victor’s most prized possession. Kicking Victor in the ass he said, “Now go, go cry like the fucking sodomite you are!” Throwing the shears down Sergei growled, “The next time I have to paint over that shit on my garage door, I will make you do it using what’s left of your hair.”

Scrambling to his mother, Victor wrapped himself around her legs as soon as he could, while Sergei stormed down into the basement. “Mama! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he wailed, his face buried in her lap as she collapsed to the ground with her son.

“Oh, my poor Vitya. You have to get out of here, my sweet, tender son,” she whispered, cradling him. “Come,” she cooed, lifting him from the ground after a long silence, “let’s get you cleaned up.”

***

Yuuri wasn’t sure if he should ring the doorbell to Mila’s home or not. When he arrived with Victor they had just walked in, but Victor wasn’t here. Or at least, Yuuri didn’t think he was. He hadn’t gotten a text saying he’d gotten to Mila’s early or anything, so he assumed Victor wasn’t inside. So, did Yuuri ring the doorbell or text and be that very annoying boyfriend?

Saved from himself Mila opened the door and greeted him. “Hey, Yuuri! Victor isn’t here yet, but you are welcome to wait inside,” she said, stepping aside and letting him in.

“Ah, thank you,” Yuuri smiled, flushing red a bit. It was strange being here only his second time and without Victor. The only reason he belonged here in the first place. Yuuri checked his phone and saw that he was a couple minutes early, as usual. “I’m forever early. Victor always teases me about it,” he shrugged, blushing.

“Then, he shouldn’t be far behind. Would you like a drink while we wait?”

“Sure,” Yuuri agreed. 

Yuuri sat at the island in their kitchen while Mila pulled out a water bottle for herself and asked Yuuri, “What would you like?”

“Ah, water is fine.” Though, Yuuri was a little antsy. He hadn’t actually heard from Victor since they parted after school, which was a little unusual. “Was Victor okay when you guys left today?”

Mila looked up and nodded, “He seemed to be in higher spirits when we dropped him off at home.”

“Mm, that’s good,” Yuuri murmured, taking a sip of water. Victor should walk through the door any second now.

Just then, Mila’s mom entered from the garage with bags of groceries in her hands. “Oh, hey kids!”

“Hi, mom,” Mila chortled, helping her mom with the bags. “How was shopping?”

“It was fine,” Mrs B replied. “Did you know the Nikiforov’s had to repaint their garage door?” she mentioned, off-hand as she dug through the bags emptying them.

Putting the groceries away, Mila shook her head. “Nn.”

At Victor’s last name, Yuuri became incredibly interested because Victor was now exactly one minute late. “D-do you know why?” he dared to ask.

“Looked like there was some kind of vandalism?” Mrs B had only been privy to the ‘T,’ ‘S,’ and ‘E’ part of A FAGGOT LIVES HERE that had been spray painted in black on their white garage door.

Yuuri didn’t wait for anything else. Dropped his bottle and stood. “I gotta go.”

“Yuuri!” Mila called after him, but he was out the door, running down the street toward Victor’s house.

***

Yuuri never knew his daily morning runs would come in so handy. He’d run the mile to Victor’s house in five minutes flat, banging violently on the door as soon as he arrived. “Victor! Are you in there? Victor!!!” Yuuri banged on the door for another solid minute before a man he could only assume was Sergei answered the door.

“Are you the sodomite buggering my son?” Sergei growled upon throwing open the door.

“Where’s Victor?” Yuuri countered, refusing to shrink back.

“Crying on his mommy.” The thick Russian accent made the comment sound somehow dirty and shameful.

“Victor!” Yuuri shouted, shoving past Sergei.

“Hey! You fucking-” Sergei had spun around and put his hand on Yuuri, which was something he’d learn he should _never_ do.

Yuuri grabbed Sergei’s hand in such a way that when he turned, Sergei’s hand twisted, forcing Sergei to the ground. “You’re gonna take me to Victor or I’m gonna break your fucking wrist, Sergei,” Yuuri said to him in a even, sinister tone.

“I will do no such thi- Ah!!” There was an awful ‘crack’ and Sergei shrieked in pain.

Yuuri was fresh out of patience. “I’m not fucking around with you, Sergei,” he got in the man’s face. “Take. Me. To. Victor. Now.”

Holding his broken wrist, Sergei wobbled to Anna’s room where Victor cowered in her embrace. Looking Sergei in the eye Yuuri said, “Have a seat.” Yuuri could only see Victor’s crown, not the damage done.

“Victor, are you alright?” Yuuri asked, nearing him and his mother. Sensing Sergei attempting to escape Yuuri warned him, “You’d better be sure you’re faster than I am, old man. I ran here in five minutes from Mila’s house without breaking a sweat.” Sergei’s eyes widened. “Sit.”

Hearing Yuuri’s voice, Victor dared to look toward the door. “Yuuri!” he cried, surprised, grateful.

“What the fuck…?” Yuuri went to Victor immediately, looking over his face and stroking his shoddily cut hair. It was only then that he noticed all the platinum strands leading out of the bedroom. “Holy shit, Vitya what did he do to you?! What did you _do_ to him?!” Yuuri was on Sergei in a flash and grabbed him by the neck, throwing him into the nearest wall. “You- How _dare_ **_you?!_ ** Vitya, go pack your bags.”

“He will do no such-!” Sergei attempted to regain control, but Yuuri slapped him hard.

“You’re gonna shut the fuck up, old man,” Yuuri growled and ensured an iron grip on Sergei’s collar. “Vitya, go. Pack a bag, you’re coming home with me.”

Vitya was stunned again, but this time pleasantly and he looked up to his mother who still held him tenderly. When she nodded acquiescence Victor pulled himself from her and scooted out of the bedroom and up the stairs as fast as he could.

Once Yuuri was certain Victor was upstairs, he turned his attention to Anna, saying, “I really wish we could have met under different circumstances. Vitya really loves you.” Tears welled in Anna’s eyes and she covered her mouth to keep from crying out, but she nodded again, all the same. “You, however,” he said, turning his attention back to Sergei. The sperm donor. Yuuri yanked Sergei by his neck out of Anna’s bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

As soon as the door was shut, Yuuri teep kicked Sergei in the ribs causing him to stumble and double over. Doubling over gave Yuuri the opportunity to knee Sergei in the face, breaking his nose. When Yuuri heard the satisfying ‘crunch’ of the cartilage he smirked and shoved Sergei so he fell onto his back at the base of the stairs. Stepping on his chest, Yuuri stared down at Sergei with his hands in his pockets. “You hurt my Vitya.”

“Get your foot off of me, you dirty nip!” Sergei screamed at Yuuri. 

Yuuri was shocked but amused. “Oooh, I haven’t heard that one in a while,” he said, almost nostalgically. Yuuri felt excited and dare he say, aroused, by the look of terror on the man’s face beneath him. “You can call me all the dirty names in the book, I’ve heard ‘em all,” he said, resituating himself so that he was sitting on Sergei’s chest, both of his arms pinned beneath Yuuri’s knees and against his sides so escape wasn’t an option. “You hurt. MY. Vitya. You beat his beautiful face and you _destroyed_ his pride and joy. What of yours should I cut off, Sergei?”

Sergei had taken to speaking only Russian at Yuuri, but Yuuri could pick out the slurs because of the accentuating certain words in certain ways. Leaning in, coming mere millimeters from Sergei’s face, Yuuri asked, quite calmly, “What terrifies you more? The fact that a Japanese is sitting on your chest or a fag?”

Watching Sergei struggle beneath him thrilled Yuuri and he tossed a glance up the stairs. Closing his eyes, he smiled euphorically. “I love that man up there, you know? And, I don’t know how he’d feel about me castrating you on his mother’s hardwood floors, so how about this? Open up, Sergei.”

Sergei looked up at Yuuri confused, but his mouth immediately clamped shut. Yuuri had to laugh at the _look_ on his face. “Oh, don’t flatter yourself,” he winked and hocked a loogie while simultaneously grabbing Sergei’s broken nose and pinching hard. Which had the desired effects of making Sergei scream bloody murder and open his mouth, at which point Yuuri spit the most disgusting loogie into Sergei’s mouth, immediately slapping his hand down over it and his nose. “Now, swallow.”

Sergei had no choice but to do so. He couldn’t breathe and his nose throbbed with pain. Yuuri tapped his cheek with the hand previously covering his mouth, smiling sinisterly. 

“Now think about where this mouth has been and what it has done to your son’s mouth, your son’s neck, your son’s…cock,” Yuuri sighed, saying the last word with reverence. Closing his eyes, Yuuri savored a memory for a moment, then turned his sights back on Sergei. Daggers pinned Sergei in place.

Sergei writhed beneath Yuuri, confused as to how someone so slight in stature could overpower a man such as he, so much larger and heavier. “Get off of me!” he muttered, _furious_ , though Yuuri understood the sentiment.

“In a minute, we need to clarify a few things first,” Yuuri noted, settling more of his weight onto Sergei. “When I get up, you’re gonna get up. Then, you’re gonna grab the keys to your vehicle and your wallet, and you’re gonna get _into_ that vehicle and go to your favorite place. I don’t care where that is. But you’re gonna go there and you’re gonna stay there for a _really_ long time. 

When you return Victor won’t be here and _you_ won’t come after him because **I** will be right by his side. Nod if you understand me.”

It was a strange thing. Sergei couldn’t remember the last time he felt this afraid. Reluctantly, he acquiesced and nodded.

“I’m glad we understand each other,” Yuuri moved to get off of Sergei, but thought, “Oh, and Anna isn’t to be abused in any way, right?” Immediately, Sergei agreed. “Excellent, enjoy your night out, Sergei.”

***

After ensuring Sergei left the house, Yuuri took the stairs two at a time to the landing at the top and searched for Victor’s room. Finding it easily, he gently rapped his knuckles on the half open door and entered. “You need any help?”

Victor stood over an open suitcase, filled with clothing and other odds and ends he thought he’d need for something like a sleepover. “Did you… What did you mean ‘you’re coming home with me’?”

“I’m getting you out of here for good,” Yuuri confirmed, stepping up behind Victor and stroking his stunted hair. “Look at what he did to you, I can’t leave you here.”

“I can’t leave Mama,” Victor whimpered, his shoulders sagging as he began to cry. “I’m sorry, Yuuri, I can’t-”

“Do you think she’d come with us? I mean, I don’t think he’ll do anything to her - I scared him pretty bad-” Victor looked puzzled at Yuuri, who shook his head, “I’ll explain that later, but if you think she’ll come with us, there is plenty of room for the both of you where I live.”

It occurred to Victor only then that he didn’t really know about Yuuri’s home. It was ridiculous in one way, making total and perfect sense in another. “Wh-where do you live?”

Chuckling, Yuuri picked up a brush and encouraged Victor to sit down on the edge of his bed. Gently, he ran the brush through the strands, still silky and beautiful, just short. “Yu-Topia Katsuki.”

Victor gasped and whipped his head around, his eyes and mouth wide open. “The ryokan?!” It was the only one in the state.

Laughing, heartily now, Yuuri directed Victor’s head forward again and went back to brushing. “We’ll have Mari nee-chan fix this, don’t worry. It will still be your pride and joy, my Vitenka,” he kissed Victor’s crown and ran the brush through a few more times before placing the brush in Victor’s suitcase. 

“Anyway, yes. My folks had one before they moved here from Japan and saw an opportunity here to open one and pick up where they left off,” Yuuri shrugged. 

“Amazing,” Victor breathed.

“It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, I promise. It’s just the four of us that take care of it, and the busy season is sporadic at best,” Yuuri noted. “But if you think she’ll come, she’s welcome, but Vitya, I _won’t_ leave you here with that man. I think Anna would agree.”

Victor huffed, standing. “You’re right, you’re right,” he conceded. “Let’s go ask her.”

***

Anna was bewildered by the invitation. “Are you- Do you mean it?” Hope shone in her eyes.

“Of course! Pack whatever you need and if we need to come back for anything later, we can do that,” Yuuri said, pulling out his phone and dialing his sister. “I’ll have Mari nee-chan come pick us up.”

Yuuri left the room to make the phone call and then after taking pictures of the carnage left in the house of Victor’s hair, making a mental note to also take photos of Victor’s wounds and forced haircut.

“Vitya, where did you find such a wonderful boy?” Anna asked as they packed the things she wanted to take. Photos of her and Victor, her jewelry box, some cash she had hidden, and all the clothing and accessories she could stuff in one suitcase. “Will this really be alright?” she whispered in Russian.

“I met him at school, Mama, and if Yuuri says it will be alright, then it will be,” Victor whispered back. His heart was racing. Was he really getting his mother away from that man, too? He was almost too scared to hope.

***

Victor looked in the mirror after Mari evened out Victor’s thrashed locks, giving Victor a bit of a new look. A sexy fringe now fell over his left eye, the platinum still striking and ethereal. A few times, though, while Mari made sure everything was even, tears welled up in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. 

Mari placed her hands firmly on Victor’s shoulders and smiled warmly at him. “It will grow back stronger and better than ever, I promise. Just be sure to brush it everyday with this, okay?”

Mari placed a tokigushi in Victor’s hands. It was a simple, but beautiful wood type of comb that Victor had never seen. A small gasp escaped his lips. “Th-thank you, Mari nee-chan.”

“Ah, don’t mention it.”

Fluffing and sort of shaking his hair out with her fingers once she’d styled it, Mari stood back and held another mirror up for Victor so he could see the back. The shorter cut revealed his long, supple neck and the fading marks from Saturday night. Mari smirked but remained silent on the subject, not wishing to make Victor feel uncomfortable in his new home.

“How do you like it?” she asked, admiring her work.

Victor hadn’t been sure at first, but he decided he liked it. The fringe helped hide the black eye Sergei gifted him before Yuuri saved him, and thankfully, his nose was not broken and the split to his lip did not need stitches. “It’s great,” he smiled at her through the mirror, “Thank you.”

“Any time, Victor,” she replied, patting him on his shoulder, leaving him to get used to his new shorter hairstyle.

Several minutes later, Yuuri rapped on the shoji panes of the room Victor occupied. “Hey, mind if I come in?”

Jumping in his seat a bit, Victor turned and smiled solemnly at Yuuri. “Of course, it’s your home.”

Frowning and entering the room, Yuuri corrected Victor. “It’s your home now, too.” Victor nodded and sighed, defeat showing in the slump of his shoulders. “Hey, talk to me.”

Victor couldn’t talk, though. He didn’t have the words to properly convey how grateful he was to Yuuri and his family for taking him _and_ his mother in like this, as if it were no big deal. Instead, he reached out for Yuuri and grabbed his shirt, pulling Yuuri into a tight hug. It didn’t matter where Victor lived, Yuuri felt like and was his home.

Clutching him, Victor buried his face in Yuuri’s neck and sobbed. It wasn’t until he felt like he couldn’t cry anymore that he wondered. “How did you know to come get me?”

“You were late.”

***

It was much quieter here than at his house which was much closer to the school and town. The ryokan was on the outskirts, much closer to the mountains and nature. It really made one feel as though they’d travelled to Japan without the international time change with its lovely and pristine gardens and fountains.

Victor laid on his back on his futon the sheets up to his chin, staring at the ceiling. The soft churning of the onsen water was soothing, but also kept him awake. 

Or was it the strange futon bed he was laying in? Or the indescribably yummy smell of the tatami in his room? Or was it the surreal feeling he was safely away from his father _with_ his mother? Or was it that Yuuri was mere steps down the hall from him?

Victor rolled over and sighed. Reaching out he grabbed his phone to check the time. 3:22am. He groaned and flopped onto his back. He had to get up - no - he _wanted_ to get up early and go with Yuuri on his morning run with him, but that meant he had to get up in three hours. Which wasn’t going to happen if he didn’t fall asleep _right now_. 

Sitting up, Victor swung his legs over the side of his bed and walked quietly to the sliding shoji door to his room. He peeked out and checked the hallway for anyone and found only more silence. The moonlight flowing in from outside made the place look hazy and unreal. 

Victor worried if he kept still he would wake up in his bed in his room in his house with Sergei. To make sure he wasn’t dreaming, he stepped out of the room, closed the door behind him and pattered softly down the hallway to Yuuri’s room.

He stood outside the door for a moment with his hand raised to knock. Victor waxed and waned on whether to knock or not and disrupt Yuuri’s sleep. Deciding against it, he dropped his hand and turned to walk away. But before he could take a step he heard the door slide softly open and Yuuri’s kind voice. 

“Vitya? Are you okay?”

Turning his head to look at Yuuri over his shoulder, Victor tried to grin cheerfully, failing miserably, and said, “Mm! Just got lost looking for the bathroom.”

Yuuri smirked and grasped Victor by the wrist. “You’ve never been able to lie to me, Vitya,” Yuuri said, tugging him inside his room, “I don’t know why you keep trying.”

“Yu-yuuri,” Victor murmured when Yuuri drew him into a hug.

“I couldn’t sleep, either,” Yuuri admitted, nuzzling his nose in Victor’s neck. Were he a bard, Yuuri would write odes to this man’s neck. Its scent, its taste, its suppleness. “I’m still pretty pissed at Sergei. C’mon, let’s get in bed.” Yuuri climbed into his twin sized bed, pulling Victor down with him.

“Is this okay?” Victor asked, certainly happy to sleep next to Yuuri, but also unsure if there might be hell to pay later with his folks or Mari. The last thing Victor wanted to do was give a poor impression to his family who just welcomed them with open arms into their home.

“It’s fine, get comfortable. I’ll mold to you,” Yuuri promised and gave Victor the time to situate himself before wrapping around him.

It was quiet for a long time before Victor asked, “How did you get him to leave the house? I’ve never seen Sergei back down from anyone. And, the stories Mama has told me about his past make me cringe. So, how-”

Yuuri drew Victor’s body closer to his, his t-shirt covered chest pressed against Victor’s jinbei covered back, and inhaled deeply before replying. “Mm, well, I threatened to cut off his pride and joy and made sure he knew I wasn’t kidding.”

“Like the baseball player at lunch?”

“I guess.”

“Yuuri.”

“Vitya.”

“Are you some kind of rōnin?”

Yuuri chuckled and nuzzled his nose into Victor’s shorter hairline. “No, I have someone I’m devoted to,” he whispered and gently kissed Victor’s naked nape. This short hair wasn't so bad at all. It looked sexy and gave Yuuri unfettered access to Victor's delicate and delicious neck.

Victor shuddered and scooted closer to Yuuri, wrapping Yuuri’s arms tightly around him. “Oh.” _That’s me!_

***

Needless to say, Yuuri skipped that morning’s run as they’d slept through that alarm, waking only when Yuuri’s second alarm went off. It wasn’t all bad, though. Waking up with Victor peacefully asleep in his arms made it worth it. Having breakfast with Victor first thing in the morning made it worth it. Walking to school hand-in-hand made it worth it.

Victor made everything worth it.

As they approached the school part of Yuuri wondered if Victor would let go of his hand, but it ended up quite the opposite. The closer they came, the tighter Victor squeezed it.

“Don’t worry, Vitya, I’m not going anywhere,” he told Victor, who obviously felt the same.

That morning as they walked up the steps to the school people continued to whisper, but it wasn't quite so oppressive. Some of the whispers were lamentations of girls who realized they’d never have a chance with Victor. Others thought it made him that much hotter.

Other whispers were excited what Victor coming out could mean for everyone else who felt like they couldn’t. Certainly, if _he_ could find the strength, anyone could. A few remained angry and prejudiced, but they were mostly droned out by “What the fuck did Victor do to his hair?”

Yuuri walked with Victor to his locker, which had the offending word suspiciously cleaned off, replaced by a rainbow heart. “Well, this is a one eighty. I’m going to get whiplash,” Victor quipped, putting some books away and pulling out another.

“Victor!!” a voice cut through the crowd, drawing the attention of both boys. “What happened to your hair?!” Mila rushed to him and ran her fingers through the short locks. “It looks _amazing_!!”

Victor blushed but also frowned. “It… Wasn’t my decision,” he whispered, looking away.

That’s when Mila noticed the bruising around Victor’s eye and nose, and the split in his lip. “What happened?!” she cried, alarmed, cupping Victor’s face and looking him over.

“Uhm… Sergei… I guess something happened to our house over the weekend,” Victor answered, quietly. He wasn’t sure why he felt so ashamed. He definitely felt naked without his hair. “And, he…”

Yuuri rubbed Victor’s back and finished for him. “Think Victor’s locker door on a much larger scale. When your mom mentioned their garage door - well, that combined with Vitya being late - I knew something was wrong. That’s why I took off the way I did.”

“Oh no,” Mila sighed, covering her mouth, her eyes flicking to Victor.

“When I got there, Victor had been beaten and his hair just… Sergei just butchered it.”

“Holy shit, Victor! Are you okay?!” Mila cried, hugging him.

“Yeah, I’m- living with Yuuri now,” he smiled softly, returning her hug. “So is my mom.”

“What? Really?!” Mila gasped, shocked and pulled out of the hug.

“Mm, and Mari nee-chan fixed my hair, she’s really nice. His whole family is,” Victor said happily, running his fingers through his short locks.

By then the others showed up and eavesdropped on the conversation, stunned by the haircut and damage to Victor’s face. They were as impressed as they were stunned by the fact that Yuuri took in Victor _and_ his mother without incurring the wrath of Sergei.

***

Victor learned a lot living with the Katsuki’s over the following weeks. They weren’t the cuddliest of families, but their warmth emanated through him in other ways. Even though they were running a business, they always made time for each other and now for him and Anna. It was as though they’d always been there. It was no wonder Yuuri was so amazing.

“Mama Hiroko!” Victor called, looking for Yuuri’s mom. 

“Ah, Vicchan,” Hiroko called back as she made her way down the hallway toward him. “What can I do for you?” she asked in her sweet voice, her Kyushu accenting her words.

“I’ve finished cleaning up the changing room,” he smiled at her. When she called him ‘Vicchan’ he was just tickled. “Is there anything you need done?”

“Do you have homework?” she asked, continuing on down the hallway, encouraging him to follow.

“Uhm, I’m supposed to read a chapter for English class…” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. By now his hair had grown out to just below his chin, but he was still wearing it so it covered his left eye. 

Smiling the smile that reminded Victor of Yuuri, Hiroko replied, “Then, I need you to read your chapter for English class, Vicchan. You have your own responsibilities to consider.”

“I know, I just… I appreciate what you’ve done for me and my Mama so much, I want to repay you anyway possible.”

“There is no need, you are important to our Yuuri, therefore you are important to us, Vicchan. You always have a home here,” Hiroko assured Victor, patting his arm. “Now, go read that chapter!”

***

Anna also seemed to flourish living under the Katsuki roof. She wasn’t afraid to wander the halls. Or go outside. They hadn’t expected it of her, but Anna insisted she help with the ryokan wherever she could. Sergei only allowed her to clean her own house. A job outside was out of the question. So _working_ was absolute freedom to her.

As had become their ritual, Victor visited his mother in her room before turning in for the night himself. They liked to share a cup of chamomile tea and catch up on each other’s day. 

“I finally ventured to the onsen today,” Anna told Victor, excited. “It was incredibly relaxing,” she smiled, sitting on the tatami in her room. She would put the futon out once Victor left. Her little room was cozy and wonderful. The tatami had an amazing and soothing scent to it that she had never smelled before. The scent seemed to take her back to a place in Japan, though she had never been.

“Ah! Did you absolutely _adore_ it?” Victor asked, happy to hear she’d finally had a moment to take her first onsen bath.

“I only left because I was getting waterlogged,” Anna lamented. “Otherwise, we’d be having this conversation in there.”

Victor giggled, “Mama, I love you and I know it’s unisex, but I still don’t want you to see me naked. Or the other way around.”

Anna thought about it. “Oh! Yes, I suppose I haven’t seen you naked since you were a small child.” She started to laugh. “You looked at me one day, you couldn’t have been more than four, you looked at me and said, ‘I can do this _myself_! Please excuse me!’”

“I did not!” Victor refused to believe it.

“You most certainly did, solnyshko,” Anna tittered, tousling Victor’s now shoulder length hair. “It was the funniest and cutest thing. Things weren’t always so bad.”

***

With graduation being around the corner, seniors spoke eagerly about ordering their caps and gowns, wondering if it was still a thing to wear one’s tassel on one side of the cap, then move it upon receiving their diploma, and most importantly: Senior Ditch Day. Which for Victuuri and Friends - no matter what either Victor or Yuuri did, they could NOT get their friends to stop calling them that once Phichit discovered the nickname by accident - meant spending the day at Yuuri’s place to enjoy the onsen followed up by spending the night into the weekend at Mila’s. With Mickey, Georgi and Anya skipping out for the latter having made other afternoon and weekend plans.

Stretched out like a giant starfish in the middle of Mila’s floor, Chris sighed loudly, “Man, Yuuri, you’ve got a nice place there. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it.”

“Isn’t it amazing?” Phichit offered with a wide grin, carding his fingers through Chris’s bleached curls. “And, aren’t his parents just the _sweetest people_? Gah, I just want to be wrapped in Mama Hiroko’s katsudon. Mmm…”

“Easy, Phichit-kun, that’s my haha you’re talking about,” Yuuri warned, playfully.

“Oh, but her katsudon _is_ the best,” Victor agreed with Phichit. “Somehow eating it is like being wrapped in a big Mama Hiroko blankie!”

“Alright, how about we stop talking about my haha and her katsudon, okay? It’s starting to sound like a porno,” Yuuri begged the two, cringing.

“Kiss me and I’ll stop!” Victor smirked, scrunching his nose at Yuuri.

Grabbing his heart as though it was such a put off, Yuuri grimaced. “Oh no, not that. Anything but kissing you!”

“Yuuri!” Victor cried, leaping onto Yuuri and knocking him backward onto the ground, kissing his face like a goof. They weren’t sure, but it appeared that Yuuri was in no distress.

“So, Sara,” Chris began, turning his attention to the small brunette, painting Mila’s fingernails.

“Mm?” Sara did not take her attention away from Mila’s delicate fingers. All Your Dreams in Vending Machines looked perfect against Mila’s skin tone.

“What’s that brother of yours up to?”

Shrugging, Sara dipped the brush back into the pot, wiping the excess polish off as she pulled it back out. “I dunno, he was muttering something about finding someone before graduation. He’ll show up later, I’m sure.”

And, show up he did. Saturday afternoon while everyone enjoyed the pool. Sara and Mila took in some vitamin D via sunlight, laid out on chaise lounges, wearing matching bikinis and sunglasses. Pinky fingers connected them to one another. Holding hands would cause goofy tanlines. 

A vociferous chicken fight took place between Victuuri and Phichimetti - Phichit was really on a roll with combo names - in the pool. Victor’s fingers were locked with Phichit’s as they tried to knock each other off balance atop their respective…bottoms… 

“C’mon! Sweep his leg! Sweep his leg!” Phichit squealed, trying to topple Victor.

“If I try to do that, we’ll lose for sure!” Chris argued, holding Phichit’s thighs in a death grip.

“Just do it!” Phichit cried, struggling against Victor.

“Watch out, Yuuri!” Victor shouted, pushing hard against Phichit.

Yuuri laughed, “Phichit should really know better!” When Chris tried sweeping Yuuri’s legs as suggested, it wasn’t difficult for Yuuri to jump out of the way, gripping Victor so he not only wouldn’t fall, but gained that extra edge he needed to topple Phichimetti with a grand splash.

“Yes!” Victor cried, throwing two fists into the air. “We win!”

No one noticed Mickey at first, or that he had arrived with a new friend. A sophomore named Emil Nekola who was also on the varsity team, but not as part of the starting line-up. “Hey guys!” Emil hollered, waving an arm frantically in the air.

Drawn by the unfamiliar voice, everyone turned in the direction from which it came and saw the pair as they exited the house. “Hey guys,” Mickey offered with a less enthusiastic wave of his hand. “You all know Emil? Ah, except maybe Yuuri and Phichit,” Mickey said, as a sort of introduction.

“Hey, where have you been?” Sara asked, dipping her sunglasses to the tip of her nose. “Hi, Emil! Where’d you find Mickey?”

“Hi Sara!” Emil replied, jovially. Taking a seat near Sara and Mila, he said, “I found him shaking someone down for information.”

“Oh, Mickey, not that again,” Victor sighed. The four in the pool had since climbed out and were drying off. Victor draped his towel over his head and stretched out on another available chaise. “You should really let that go.”

“I will,” Mickey promised with a solemn nod.

“Oh, that was easy,” Victor smiled, happy he’d gotten through to his friend.

“After I’ve found the bastard or bastards who tagged your locker and exact my revenge,” Mickey added.

“Or not,” Victor sighed, rolling his eyes and falling to his back. “You know they can keep you from graduating if they catch you.”

Emil offered, cheerfully, “That’s what _I_ said.”

Mickey smirked, still standing. “I’m aware. Don’t worry about it.”

“Mommy and Daddy will kill you if you don’t graduate, Mickey,” Sara ensured him. “I won’t be able to save you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mickey said, brushing it off. “I said don’t worry about it.”

“Mickey, I think whomever it was has learned their lesson. Yuuri has pretty much put the fear of Yuuri into everyone who so much as looks at me cross-eyed. _You_ don’t worry about it,” Victor said, boasting about the protectiveness of his boyfriend.

Having a seat, Mickey realized that was true. “Yeah, alright. Fair enough.”

***

“Congratulations, Toro Graduates!” Principal Morooka announced into the mic after handing out the final diploma of the night. Shouts of excited students echoed through the night as mortar boards with tassels spun high into the air. Chaos ensued a bit after that as the free seniors began milling about to find their friends and share hugs and excited squeals.

Mortar board in hand and his gown unzipped, showing off his blue suit and tie, Yuuri’s first port of call was to find Victor. Made only slightly more difficult since everyone was wearing the same thing. Luckily for him Victor had tossed his mortar into the air like everyone else thereby exposing his signature hair. Like a blip on his radar, Yuuri spotted it almost immediately and waded through the sea of teenagers to get to him.

Victor was beaming, his heart-shaped smile hitting his ears. There were a handful of people around him, shaking his hand or giving him hugs. Others patting him on the back. It pleased Yuuri to see that Victor’s reputation hadn’t been entirely shattered by his coming out.

When Victor looked up and noticed Yuuri headed his way, the already big heart-shaped smile somehow became bigger and even brighter. “Yuuri!!” he cried, rushing toward Yuuri, throwing his arms around his neck as soon as he was close enough. “Lyubimaya moya! It’s been _such_ a long day. It feels good to hold you again,” he purred, clinging to Yuuri.

Yuuri knew he was blushing, but he didn’t care. Rather he wrapped his arms around Victor’s waist and returned his affections. “I agree,” he answered, kissing Victor sweetly below his ear. “Shall we go find the others and head out?”

“Mm!” Victor linked his fingers with Yuuri’s and they made their way through the crowd to where their family said they’d be. Anna’s hair, much like Victor’s, made it easy to spot her in a crowd. “Ah! There’s Mama! Mama!” He waved his free hand vigorously and tugged Yuuri along to greet them.

Holding her arms open to him, Anna accepted Victor into her arms and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek and ear in a way only a mother could, so proud of her son. “Ah, pozdravlyayu solnyshko!” she praised him, giving him one last kiss to his forehead.

Hugging her back, Victor’s smile was warm and he buried his face in her neck, fighting back tears. “Blagodaryu vas, Mama.”

Yuuri’s family being less touchy feely congratulated Yuuri in their own way. Encircling him in a half moon, Mari ruffled his hair as his dad gave him a good pat to his shoulder. Hiroko beamed with such pride, she could only smile brightly at her son who was growing up right before her eyes. Quickly, she blinked away the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks and clapped her hands together loudly.

“Omedetou, Yuuri!” she cried out, putting all of her emotion in her voice. “We’re so proud of you!”

“Arigatou gozaimashita, okaasan,” Yuuri blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Suddenly, hands separated Mari from her father’s side, making space for Minako, Yuuri’s self-defence teacher. “Yuuri!!! I’m sorry I’m late! I had a drunk asshole to deal with at the pub,” Minako sighed, dramatically shaking Yuuri’s hand.

“That’s okay, Minako-senpai,” Yuuri replied, his entire body shaking from Minako’s vigorous handshake.

Shoving through the family, Minako tapped Victor on his shoulder, smiling widely when he faced her. “Minako-san!” Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tightly. 

“Congratulations, Victor!” Minako said to him as she returned his hug. “Ah, look how handsome you look!” she cried, pulling away and holding him at arm’s length. “Yuuri, your boyfriend is quite the catch!”

“Minako-senpai!” Yuuri gasped, his cheeks and ears turning red.

Giggling and draping himself over Yuuri, Victor retorted, “What? You don’t think so?”

“Victor, that’s not-”

“Mmmwah!” Victor planted a goofy kiss on Yuuri’s cheek, then nuzzled him. “You’re right, **my** boyfriend is the _much_ better catch!”

Was that steam shooting out of either ear? Yuuri’s entire head went red with embarrassment. “Vitya,” he muttered, bowing his head slightly.

Another tender peck to his lips, Victor grasped Yuuri’s hand and said, “C’mon. Let’s go celebrate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about my overuse of the comma! *cries*
> 
> Thank you for reading anyway! I love the comments and kudos! I appreciate all of you!
> 
> Lyubimaya moya - my darling, my love, term of affection in Russian
> 
> pozdravlyayu solnyshko - congratulations my sun
> 
> Blagodaryu vas - thank you in Russian
> 
> Omedetou - congratulations in Japanese
> 
> Arigatou gozaimashita okaasan - thank you very much, mom in Japanese
> 
> Title: (Be My Savior, I’ll Be Your) Downfall by Matchbox 20


	4. Blood Like Lemonade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Anna settle into life at Yu-Topia Katsuki quickly becoming a part of their family, and Victor gets his first job at a local grocery chain. Meanwhile, Victor and Yuuri discover something interesting about themselves when Yuuri's jealousy sparks.
> 
> Drowning his sorrows in vodka Sergei laments his loss coming to the dire decision to stalk and kidnap Anna. It will be the last decision he will ever make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, remember back in Chapter 2 when I said to savor the fluff? This chapter is heavy, so please read at your own risk.
> 
> For this Chapter:
> 
> CW// aggressive foreplay, jealousy, aggressive oral sex, underage sexual situations (17/18), kidnapping/hostage situation (Sergei/Anna), hiding a body, revenge murder, forced cannibalism (Sergei)
> 
> TW// homophobic language, sexist language, rape (Sergei/Anna), violence, abuse, mutilation (Sergei), gore

After graduation Victor got himself a part-time job in town to save a little bit before he and Yuuri left town and started their sojourn to Malta.

As teenagers it was borderline laughable that they’d be able to just up and _move_ to Malta because they felt like it, so their plan was to work over the summer in their hometown to save up enough money to move to the east coast. There they’d both get jobs, a place to live, and scrimp and save until they had enough to enable them to live out their dream.

The local grocery store Bashas was perfect. He’d work four or five hours during the day, having the rest of the afternoon and evening with Yuuri and their now combined families. Sometimes, Victor would pinch himself as he anticipated going home for the day. Stocking the shelves gave him plenty of time to zone out and daydream. And, it was a stupid thing, but Victor actually really liked the apron he got to wear while at work. 

Meanwhile, Yuuri continued to work at the ryokan, socking away his own money. And, due to word of mouth via his new group of friends, there was an uptick in business. Yuuri felt something akin to domesticity in his new living situation with Victor and Anna living at the ryokan with them. It was a blended family he never really imagined living under the same roof, though he was pleased by it.

The routine they fell into was comfortable. Victor worked from nine in the morning until two in the afternoon. Around 1:30PM Yuuri would stop whatever it was he was doing at Yu-Topia and jog over to the grocery store meeting Victor outside, even though Victor had told Yuuri on more than one occasion that he would love nothing more for Yuuri to be _that_ boyfriend just once.

Today Yuuri decided to surprise Victor and meet him inside. Tugging the hood of his hoodie from his head as he entered, he nodded and smiled a greeting to the cashiers up front. They all knew Yuuri from regular grocery trips with Victor and by then most people knew that he and Victor were dating. One cashier pointed Yuuri toward where he would find Victor and with languid steps he made his way in that direction.

He couldn’t see him but it wasn’t long before Yuuri heard Victor’s infectious laugh. Warmth radiated through him as a smile crept across his face. An intoxicating melody. When he rounded the corner however, Yuuri was met with an unpleasant surprise. Hiding himself just out of view Yuuri spied Victor talking to who he assumed to be a co-worker at the bakery. 

It wasn’t the talking that bothered Yuuri rather it was that Victor seemed to be standing too close, smiling a little too coyly, and twirling his hair around his finger a little too flirtatiously. Tossing his hood back up over his head, Yuuri spun on his heel and exited the store without drawing attention to himself.

***

Victor didn’t see Yuuri right away. Exiting by himself he stopped to look around: left, then right, then left again. A car came around the corner driven by the same co-worker who waved and smiled at Victor who returned them both. Still no Yuuri, though. It was unusual for him to be late, so Victor started to panic a little bit, but just then Yuuri came around the same corner. “Yuuri!” Victor smiled, excited and waved. Rushing over to him Yuuri barely greeted him with a kiss. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Yuuri grumbled, his hands shoved in his pockets. “Let’s go,” he said, walking off not waiting for Victor.

Victor, momentarily confused, was frozen to his spot surprised by Yuuri’s sudden cold attitude. “Yuuri!” he called out scrambling to catch up. “What happened?” Yuuri ripped his shoulder away when Victor placed his hand there. Stopping in his tracks Victor asked, “Yuuri, why are you mad at me?” Yuuri kept walking, ignoring Victor. “Katsuki Yuuri!” Finally, Yuuri stopped.

Shoving the hood from his head again Yuuri looked over his shoulder, a cheerful grin on his face. “I’m sorry, Vitya.” Turning and walking to Victor, Yuuri gave him a proper kiss on his lips. Neither of them had any idea what Victor just unleashed inside Yuuri. Or inside Victor for that matter. Taking hold of Victor’s hand Yuuri tugged it maybe a little more forcefully than usual saying, “Let’s go home.”

Victor couldn’t quite place what was off for the rest of the evening. Yuuri was still his sweet and attentive self, but there was _something_ underlying Victor could _not_ place for the life of him. Even after their respective showers, as had become their custom, Yuuri ran the comb Mari gave Victor through Victor’s growing locks.

Eyes lulled closed, Victor settled into the soothing sensations of the comb carding through his hair, Yuuri taking delicate care of each strand. Mari’s gift had Victor’s hair not only growing back more quickly than his hair ever had before, but it felt stronger and was silkier and shinier. It was constantly twirling through his fingers; he enjoyed the texture of it so much. He couldn’t stop touching it.

“Mmm, it feels so nice when you comb my hair, Yuuri,” Victor purred, his body moving slightly when Yuuri brought the comb forward and then through.

“Yeah? You don’t think you’d like someone else to do it for you?”

“Huh? Of course not,” Victor bristled at such an idea. How dare he suggest such a thing?

Setting the comb aside, Yuuri sank his fingers into Victor’s strands, massaging his scalp before taking a firm hold. Slowly, he tugged Victor’s head back exposing his neck. When their eyes met Victor’s dick twitched. “I saw you today,” Yuuri said plainly as possessive eyes painted over Victor’s flesh. Suddenly, the short, thin nightshirt Victor had become accustomed to wearing as of late felt non-existent.

Victor, frozen in place by more than the grip Yuuri had on his head, was perplexed. “You…saw me?” He felt vulnerable and swallowed hard. “When?”

“At work.”

The excitement Victor felt withered away. “Of course, you did. I was waiting for you outside.” He rolled his eyes smirking at what he thought was Yuuri being playful and cute.

“What’s his name?”

“Who?”

“That guy you were flirting with.”

“Guy I was…” Victor couldn’t remember the last time he flirted with anyone that wasn’t Yuuri. “Yuuri, what are you talking about?”

Yuuri kept his firm grip on Victor’s locks and yanked Victor off the bed to the ground with an unceremonious ‘thump.’ Victor hit the ground hard exacerbating an old football injury to his knee.

“Owww, Yuuri! You’re being too rough!” Victor squeaked stunned to be eye-level with Yuuri’s cock. A hand went to Yuuri’s on his head and the other to his wrist to ameliorate the discomfort in his scalp and he tried to lessen the pain in his knee. 

Yuuri had a good grip, yet Victor felt little pain!pain just tugging and the excitement that dissipated roared back with a vengeance. Victor couldn’t figure out why this felt… _sexy._

“I can’t tell if you’re being willfully oblivious or genuinely trying to piss me off.” Yuuri’s voice and tone were even, smooth, and demanding.

“Yu-yuuri,” Victor swallowed, his body absolutely quaking. “I-I don’t know who-” It wasn’t a lie, Victor really had _no idea_ what flipped Yuuri’s switch or who he was talking about, but he wasn’t even the tiniest bit mad about it. His bikini briefs were getting tighter by the second.

“He ruined the surprise I had for you,” Yuuri murmured tracking his nose over Victor’s face, his breath teasing the older man. “Or you set me up.”

“Yuuri, I-!” Set up? What? “I would _never do that_!” Victor denied vehemently. Strange. Yuuri was acting so strangely _possessive_ and Victor thought he might combust. 

“Prove it.”

Yuuri’s normally serene chocolate brown eyes churned black, the jealous monster behind them dancing in the faint light in the room. “H-how?” _Mental note:_ **_make Yuuri jealous._ **

Yuuri’s free hand pulled his cock out and slapped Victor in the face with it. “Make me cum. Worship _me_.” Before Victor could object - not that he’d refuse Yuuri’s cock just then - his mouth was full and he was gagging. The hands on his head and Yuuri’s wrist quickly found Yuuri’s hips and held on for dear life.

“Guh… Mmphff…” Victor’s eyes swung upward to gaze into Yuuri’s and saw a man consumed. Anxious. Anxious? How curious to see such a thing on his beloved’s face. _Oh._ Victor’s body became pliant and he allowed Yuuri’s hand to guide his movements. Victor sensed Yuuri needed the same thing he needed. In that moment they were opposite sides of the same used coin. Use or be used.

A hand slid up Yuuri’s stomach, pushing up his shirt until his chest was exposed. Victor’s fingers hunted down a nipple and pinched it hard eliciting a hiss from Yuuri while simultaneously his cock surged in Victor’s hot mouth. “Ahhn, Vitya, that’s good. That’s! Sss! Very good,” Yuuri moaned thrusting wantonly in and out of Victor’s mouth.

Victor tugged Yuuri’s sleep pants down around Yuuri’s ankles and instinctively Yuuri stepped out. Kicking them out of the way Yuuri took a shoulder width stance and began to fuck Victor’s face violently. Suddenly, Victor couldn’t remember if they’d locked the door and the thought that _anyone_ could walk through it _whenever_ charged him more.

It must have had the same effect on Yuuri because in a flash Victor found himself pinned against the side of the bed, Yuuri’s foot balancing himself out on top. Gagging, saliva rolled out of Victor’s mouth down his chin and chest. The tension in his grip and the urgency in his thrusts signaled Victor to Yuuri’s imminent orgasm. 

It wasn’t even a coherent thought when Victor slicked a single digit from the drool on his chest and reached around behind Yuuri. It slipped easily between his cheeks and met with slight resistance when it hit the muscled rim of Yuuri’s hole. 

Yuuri gasped and his eyes flew open when the exploring digit breached his rim. “Vi-” was all he could manage. His legs wobbled and threatened to collapse because at the same time Victor handled Yuuri’s balls and gave a quick squeeze to them, sending Yuuri over the edge. He had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming when he came.

Yuuri was too unsteady and he stumbled back, his dick pulling abruptly from Victor’s mouth and he nailed Victor in the face with part of his load, some landing in his hair. One eye blinking rapidly Victor remained where he was, mouth hanging open, cheeks flush and his eyes watery. The erection between his own legs throbbed and ached in the confines of his briefs. “Yuu- Ri…?”

Catching himself before he fell right through the shoji doors, Yuuri’s vision and mind cleared from the fog and haze that weighed on him so heavily moments before. “Oh… Oh, Vitya, _chikushō_ ,” he muttered looking frantically around for something, _anything_ to clean Victor off with. “Ahhh, I got it in your beautiful hair!”

Victor couldn’t help but start to laugh at the sudden clarity Yuuri seemed to have. In his mind he grinned like the Grinch because Victor _knew_ he wanted that to happen with more frequency, but for the moment Yuuri wiped and patted at him trying to clean off his spunk. “I’ll just wash it again, Yuuri,” he giggled through the tender swipes and rubs.

“I guess,” Yuuri sighed, his ears, neck and cheeks all beet red. “Gomen.”

“Yuuuriii~,” Victor purred and pulled his disheveled Yuuri down to his level. “What are you apologizing for?” he asked nipping Yuuri’s lips with his own and draping his arms over Yuuri’s shoulders. There was something about the moment that felt like a turning point for Victor. A kind of release.

“I- You weren’t scared? I don’t want to scare you,” Yuuri admitted. He looked ashamed and defeated. “I don’t want to hurt you. I never want to hurt _you_.”

Shaking his head slowly Victor replied, “Nn. I still don’t know what you were on about, but I wasn’t scared of you for a moment. I know you’d never hurt _me_ , lyubimaya moya. It can’t always be butterfly kisses and kitten licks, right? So,” Victor nuzzled Yuuri’s nose with his own, “are you stalking me now?”

“No!” Yuuri’s body pulled away on its own, but wasn’t allowed freedom from Victor’s. “I- It’s really stupid when I think about it now, but-” he squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away, “you were flirting with some guy at work today. I went in to surprise you and…” Yuuri sighed sadly.

Bridging the gap Yuuri created, Victor hummed in his ear. “And, if I was?” he asked quietly, gripping Yuuri’s shirt from the back and tugging it over his head.

“Th-that’s your business,” Yuuri murmured, casting his eyes aside. “Give me my shirt back,” he said weakly, reaching for it.

“This? Oh, you don’t need this,” Victor said tossing it over his shoulder, his own shirt following soon after. Victor’s hair spilled down his chest and over his back.

“Vitya, wh-” Yuuri started to ask, throwing a worried look over his shoulder at his unlocked door. In the split second that took when Yuuri turned back to Victor he found him totally naked and on all fours, crawling toward him, his hair creating a shimmering, translucent curtain that teased Yuuri’s skin. “Whoa, hey!” he whisper cried. “What are you-?”

“Help me get rid of this boner you gave me, will you?” Victor begged, straddling Yuuri’s hips, forcing his legs together and rubbing against his taut body. “Ahhn, Yuuri, help…” he groaned, capturing Yuuri’s mouth in a passionate kiss. Soon, Victor’s cock slipped between Yuuri’s thick, powerful thighs and urgently began to thrust. “Nngghhh,” he moaned into the kiss. 

The friction between Yuuri’s thighs surrounding Victor’s tumescence and the sensation of Yuuri’s cock and balls rubbing against his stomach felt amazing and electric. Yuuri’s hands sliding up his sides and over his back up into his hair sent electric currents chasing all over his body. He broke the wild kiss designed to keep them both quiet and demanded, “Slap me, Yuuri.”

“What?” Yuuri replied shocked. “I’m _not_ going to slap you?”

“ _Slap. Me._ In the face!”

“I can’t!”

Frustrated and needing the sting Victor conceded, “Fine, on my ass then! Just slap me hard _somewhere_! Please, Yuuri! I will scream if you don’t!”

 _Fine._ Yuuri’s hand came up and then down harshly on Victor’s ass causing him to scream anyway making Yuuri sit up and kiss him again. “Shhh!”

Victor squealed and bucked as that familiar and delicious feeling welled up deep within. Muffled, he begged Yuuri, “Again! Again!”

Crushing their bodies together with one strong arm, fingers splayed across Victor’s back Yuuri’s other hand repeated the smack to Victor’s cheek before rubbing and caressing it deeply, then slapping him again. A violent shudder convulsed through Victor as the passion that had been bubbling beneath the surface erupted and he bucked against Yuuri twice more before collapsing on top of him, his face buried in Yuuri’s neck.

“We’re both gonna have to shower again, I think,” Yuuri panted spent and staring at the ceiling.

Victor broke into a satisfied giggle and bit Yuuri’s neck. “And, mop up the floor. Sorry.”

“Ha! Worth it,” Yuuri sighed, cradling Victor and kissing his crown. “Worth it.”

***

Sergei sat at the bar in his favorite local pub, three vodkas deep and nursing his fourth. It was something of an anomaly, surely. Perhaps this was an incredibly lucid nightmare. No, the broken wrist set in a cast was proof that everything Sergei experienced was in fact real. Terrified, he was absolutely _terrified_ of that kid, that **deviant** who had as much as admitted to fucking his son. His _son_! Victor!

The most incredible part about it all was how petite this _Yuuri_ was and _still_ overpowered him. Sergei nearly choked on a sip as he mulled over the scenario in his mind. There had to be a way to get his son back and some revenge on top of it.

If revenge wasn’t on Sergei’s mind before, it certainly was when he arrived home to an empty house. The expectation that Victor would be gone while unpleasant had settled, but the added insult of taking his _wife as_ **_well_**?! Unforgivable. Infuriating as it was there was nothing Sergei could do about it immediately. It was news to him in the first place that Victor was a homosexual; he’d never heard Yuuri’s name uttered before that day.

Tearing Victor’s room apart told him nothing. Apparently, Sergei’s absence had given them ample time to pack and take what the little faggot and his slut mother wanted. Briefly, Sergei played with the idea of calling in a robbery, but the thought of dealing with the police was a different pain altogether. Also, he couldn’t be sure this Yuuri kid was an idiot. He didn’t seem like it; he’d probably already taken photographic evidence of what had transpired. Better to not risk it.

After cleaning up the mess left behind, Sergei decided his best bet was to stake out Victor’s school and follow him home when it let out for the day.

It was utterly ridiculous. It took Sergei much longer - weeks, in fact - before he was able to put eyes on either of the boys. He thought finding Victor would be easier with his rather distinctive hair, but having shorn it so mercilessly, he wasn’t sure what it looked like and therefore was easily fooled by too many flaxen haired blondes.

The draft came and went with no visible sign of Victor. More restless nights passed in his quiet home. Longer stays at his favorite pub became more frequent, while Sergei groused at anyone who would listen about his plight.

***

**_Sometimes irony is funny. Sometimes irony is cringey. Sometimes irony is both._ **

**_Sometimes people are simply idiots._ **

***

“Okukawa! Another vodka!” Sergei shouted his demand at the owner of his favorite pub.

“Didn’t you see the sign, Sergei?” Minako asked as she wiped down the bar. “We’re closing early due to graduation. It’s plain as day.”

“Graduation? Oh! _That_ ,” he scoffed drunkenly. “I wasn’t invited so it doesn’t involve me,” he slurred. “Another vodka!”

“Well, it involves me and the people who work for me, so out you go,” Minako expressed in no uncertain terms.

There was something about Okukawa that was weirdly familiar and unsettling to Sergei in that split second and the fingers wrapped around his empty shot glass twitched and his wrist began to ache inexplicably. “Fine.” Standing unsteadily on his feet Sergei pulled out his wallet and dropped enough money on the countertop to cover his tab and tip. “I’m gonna go drain the snake.”

“Charming,” Minako sighed with a roll of her eyes. “Make it quick, I’m locking up in five.”

“Graduation, graduation,” Sergei mumbled to himself, standing at the urinal. “Gradua-”

_Sometimes people are simply idiots._

***

It was a much less daunting task locating Victor at graduation than a regular school day. And, once he did it was of no surprise to him that he was standing with that Yuuri kid and another group of people, the faces of which were barred from view, but assumed to be Yuuri’s family and also… 

Anna! Sergei’s blood surged seeing his wife again. She looked radiant smiling at their son as she hugged him. Sergei was convinced it was all that affection she shone to that boy that made him the way he was then as opposed to the great quarterback he could be.

He would deal with them both. 

After the ceremony it was easy enough to follow the group to where they had dinner, then to where Victor and Anna were staying. Sergei wasn’t sure what to make of the place. A quaint little hotel that boasted their uniqueness in being the only ryokan in the area. “Is this kid rich?” Gauging his surroundings he couldn’t be sure. It was small and unassuming and he himself hadn’t heard of it until then.

Being so quaint and little Sergei determined it too risky to simply enter without a bit of reconnoiter, which he quickly discovered to be the best course of action. It appeared that Anna was working there as a hostess and would be the first person he would encounter had he entered through the front.

It would take a couple weeks of recon, sitting in his car in the parking lot to learn Anna’s pattern. When she came, when she went, who she talked to, and if there could be an opportunity to snatch her and take her home. 

In his zeal to learn Anna’s patterns he neglected to pay attention to the comings and goings of the other inhabitants of Yu-Topia Katsuki. He didn’t notice several times a day, every day, the woman with brown ombre hair came out to the same spot to smoke a cigarette.

She noticed him, though. The knocking on his window startled him and he dropped the binoculars into his lap. “ _Der’mo_ ,” he cursed, closing his eyes momentarily to regain his composure. The knock happened again and he rolled the window down. “Can I help you?” he asked in his thick Russian accent.

Mari smirked and flicked the butt of her now dead cigarette to the ground and stamped it out with her foot. “That’s my line, mister. What are you doing here?”

“Pardon?” 

“You’ve been parked in this same spot for a couple weeks now,” Mari said to him. “At first I wasn’t sure what you were doing, but the longer you sit here with your creepy binoculars the more I’m convinced you’re Sergei.” Mari lit another cigarette and took a deep inhale. “Tread lightly, Sergei. You might step right into it,” she offered, blowing smoke into his face before walking back to the building disappearing around the side.

“ ** _Der’mo_**!” Sergei cussed and slammed his hand against the steering wheel. He’d have to come up with something else.

***

_A week or so later…_

“Ah, Anna-chan,” Hiroko chirped upon finding Anna in the garden during lunchtime. “A letter has arrived for you,” Hiroko smiled, handing off the letter.

“Oh?” Anna was perplexed. No one knew she was here, who could possibly have sent her a letter? “Th-thank you, Hiroko-san,” Anna bowed as she accepted the parchment.

Anna waited until Hiroko was gone before opening and reading the letter. There was no return address on the envelope and her location was typewritten. The letter inside, however, was handwritten in Russian. She recognized the penmanship immediately and her heart sank.

> _Anna,_
> 
> _I do not expect you to forgive me or take me back, but I have found some items you may want to keep or even give to the boy. Please drop by at your convenience. Perhaps we could share a final cup of tea?_
> 
> _xx_
> 
> _Sergei_

Anna was stunned and wasn’t sure what to make of such a kind letter. Sure, he could have called Victor, _Victor_ , but they’d actually met over tea and that sentimental memory tugged at her heartstrings. Anna knew she couldn’t tell Victor because he would only insist on going with her or talk her out of going altogether. And, she couldn’t be sure what she’d left behind that Sergei thought was important, but if it was something for Victor she’d pick it up as soon as she could.

***

Early in the morning a few days after receiving the letter Anna was able to take time away from her new job. It was her scheduled day off which she usually spent at the onsen or in the garden, but today she would spend part of it picking up the items from Sergei for Victor. 

The house was quiet and dark when she entered. “Sergei?” she called out hanging her purse on its usual hook next to the door. Walking further inside she heard the television in the living room. “Sergei? Are you in here?” 

Behind her she heard the turn of a key in a lock. Turning around she saw Sergei standing at the front door pulling a key out of the same lock. It took her a moment to recognize why that was strange. That lock never used to need a key to lock it. A chill ran up Anna’s spine.

“You really are a stupid woman, Anna Nikiforov,” Sergei said and fell on her immediately.

***

That evening when Victor went to his mother’s room to share their nightly cup of tea and catch up on each other’s day she wasn’t there and the room felt eerily silent making it feel as though she hadn’t been there all day. “Mama?” he called out and checked her closet. “Mama? So strange, where could she have gone?” He looked around a bit more and was just about to shut off the light and exit when the corner of a letter poorly hidden caught his eye. When he read it he went into full blown panic mode and rushed to Yuuri’s room.

“Sergei has my mother,” Victor announced as soon as he entered. 

Yuuri had just pulled his sleep shirt over his head and was getting ready to wind down himself for the night when Victor burst in with his announcement. “I’m sorry, what?” Victor thrust the letter at Yuuri. The brunette took it and read it, well, he tried to read it. “I love you, but I can’t read this,” he said after a long moment staring at it.

Huffing frustrated, Victor snatched the letter back and cried, “It’s Sergei! It’s his handwriting and he _lied_ to my mother to get her to go home! It’s some _fignya_ about having something to give to _me_. He would sooner go back to Russia and face a firing squad than give me a damn thing. Yuuri, we have to go get her!”

“Alright, alright, deep breaths,” Yuuri said, grasping Victor and pulling him into a calming hug. “Obviously, we’ll go get her, go get changed and meet me outside, okay?”

“Okay!” Victor rushed out of Yuuri’s room and down the short hallway to his own to do just that.

***

The house was dark and loomed against the night sky. Crickets chirping and bullfrogs croaking was their soundtrack in the otherwise still and serene evening.

“It doesn’t look like there’s anyone home?” Yuuri whispered as they neared the house.

“Yeah,” Victor grumbled grimacing, “he’d want people to think that. Let’s go.” Victor skipped up the few steps to the porch and to the door. When he put his key in the lock it didn’t work. “That _ublyudok_ changed the locks!” he hissed snapping his key off in the new lock. “Let’s try around back. The sliding glass door is almost never locked,” he said, leading Yuuri around the side of his house and into the backyard.

Sure enough Victor was right. Slipping in through it the only light in the house came from the light above the stove and a sliver from beneath a doorway. The eerie silence in the house fell like a heavy cloak around them.

“There,” Victor said pointing at the sliver of light. “The basement.” 

Victor took steps toward it, but Yuuri held him back. “Easy, quietly. If they’re down there, we don’t want to spook him.”

Victor nodded and continued on. Calmly, he opened the door and led Yuuri as quietly as he could down the steps into the basement which looked like it was mid-renovation. At the bottom of the stairs they were met with a chill when they saw streaks of blood on the carpet and the walls leading to a closed door opposite the stairs which also had a large blood streak on it.

“Oh, Yuuri,” Victor muttered fear coloring his voice. Part of him didn’t want to keep moving forward, but he knew he had to. He hadn’t noticed that he was gripping Yuuri’s hand so tightly his own knuckles were white.

“Whatever we find, Vitya, we will deal with it together,” Yuuri promised, returning Victor’s white-knuckled grip.

*

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 **SKIP AHEAD IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT ANNA'S ASSAULT**

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*

*

Halfway down the hall they heard muffled whimpers, a ‘thump,’ and a sinister laugh followed by spoken words only Victor could understand. “You whore, you think you can leave me? I’ll teach you! Ngghhh, ahhn, ahhn!” The muffled cries became louder and they heard another ‘thump.’ “Shut up, slut! When I’m done with you I’ll fix our son, too.”

It was more than Victor could take and he let go of Yuuri’s hand rushing to the door and violently kicking it open. “Get off of her, you whoreson!” Victor screamed in his native tongue and lunged at Sergei.

His awful excuse for a father who had a naked, bloody and bruised Anna tied helplessly spreadeagle to the bed and gagged. Sergei’s own naked body was smeared with his own cum, sweat and Anna’s blood. The wild look in his eyes sickened Victor and Yuuri both. On the nightstand was an empty bottle of vodka and various tools used for torture, among them a dagger, pliers, and a bloody wooden toy train.

Enraged, Victor put Sergei in a chokehold and yanked him off of Anna. “You disgusting piece of shit! I’ll kill you! I’ll **_kill you_**! How _dare you_ touch my mother?!” Victor hissed in Sergei’s ear.

Meanwhile, Yuuri equally concerned as he was furious ran to Anna looking around for something to cover her up with. Once he returned her dignity to her Yuuri went fast to work unbinding and ungagging her. 

*

*

*

*

**YOU ARE SAFE NOW**

*

“Anna, can you walk for me?” he asked her wrapping her better in the blanket from the bed. Still terrified and bewildered Anna nodded erratically, clutching the blanket tight around her. “Good, good,” he said, keeping her from watching the fight unfolding between Victor and Sergei. “Let’s get you upstairs, okay? Don’t look, don’t look.”

“He-help,” Anna croaked, her throat dry from being gagged, “help Vitya. I- will make it,” she said, stumbling. “Help Vitya!!”

Torn, Yuuri reluctantly released Anna watching her scramble as best she could toward the stairs before turning back to help Victor. “Call the police!” Yuuri called up after her before running toward the commotion.

When he returned to the bedroom Sergei was on top of Victor his hands wrapped firmly around Victor’s neck. Victor’s body was limp, no longer able to fight back. “Get your hands off of him. Right. Now!”

Yuuri ran over and kicked Sergei off Victor, immediately settling to a knee behind him. As much as Yuuri wanted to check on Victor he knew he had to deal with the imminent threat that was Sergei.

“You again,” Sergei grumbled. Dazed, he made the attempt to get up but Yuuri didn’t allow it. It wasn’t long before Yuuri had Sergei’s neck settled firmly in the crook of his elbow.

“Yeah, me again,” Yuuri growled, tightening the hold on Sergei by hooking that wrist into the opposite elbow and squeezing. “I fucking told you, didn’t I? That **_I’d_ ** be here. I only give one warning.”

Gasping for air and tapping furiously at Yuuri’s forearm clawing frantically at him, Sergei tried to regain his footing but was unable to. “Let- Go!” His face turned red, then blue and his eyes bulged from their sockets.

“You’d better hope Victor wakes up, _kisama_ ,” Yuuri said, holding his position until Sergei stopped struggling. With an inelegant ‘thud,’ Yuuri allowed gravity to simply be as it pulled Sergei to the ground while he turned his attention back to Victor. “Who am I kidding? I’m gonna kill you regardless.”

***

Sergei toppled off the bed and onto the floor causing Victor to lose his chokehold. “Get your filthy hands off me!” Standing, Sergei threw Victor to the ground and kicked him. “You disgusting piece of shit,” he said, picking Victor up and slugging him in the gut. “You like sucking cock, do you?” he asked, doing it again.

Feeling bold Victor replied caustically, “You should try it sometime, a dick up your ass might be better than that stick that’s wedged up there.” Putting all of his weight onto one foot Victor gave Sergei a good shove, knocking him back into the nightstand everything falling off of it.

Sergei came back quickly and punched Victor in the jaw effectively knocking him out. “Such a little bitch you turned out to be,” he spat straddling his son and wrapping his large hands around Victor’s throat. “I was going to take you to be corrected, but I’d rather kill you and start over. You disgrace.”

***

Rushing to Victor’s side Yuuri checked for signs of life. “Vitya, wake up please,” Yuuri begged and tapped his face gently but furiously. “Please open those gorgeous blue eyes for me, Vitya. Vitya!” Yuuri prepared to do CPR but Victor fluttered and gasped loudly for air. “Vitya! _Yokatta_!” Yuuri exclaimed, crushing Victor to his chest.

“Yuuri,” Victor struggled to speak, “Mama… Where’s Mama?”

“She’s upstairs, Vitya,” Yuuri assured him, “she needs some help, though. Let’s go get her some help. Can you stand?” Yuuri helped Victor to his feet and threw Victor’s arm around his shoulder. Suddenly, Yuuri was stopped in his tracks causing him to stumble and lose his hold on Victor. “Chikushō!” he cursed, looking down at his feet to see a hand wrapped around an ankle.

“I’ll kill _both_ of you deviants!” Sergei hissed clawing at Yuuri.

“Yuuri!” Victor cried, falling down and scrambling backward.

“Go help Anna!” Yuuri demanded of Victor who knew by the tone in Yuuri’s voice not to question him. Victor got to his feet and ran up the stairs and out of the basement. Yuuri turned his attention back to Sergei who now stood, naked and dirty, his hair and eyes wild, his stance uncertain. Yuuri was sure he was drunk, but drunk or not, his actions that evening were unforgivable.

Sergei pointed a threatening finger at Yuuri promising, “I’m gonna kill you, then I’m gonna go get that boy and kill him, _then_ I’m gonna drag that bitch Anna back down here and finish showing her what happens when she defies me!”

Yuuri cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, a menacing look in his eye. “I made Victor leave because he doesn’t need to see what I’m about to do to you, old man. You are quite clearly a problem that needs to be dealt with.”

Sergei laughed wildly lunging at Yuuri. “I’m gonna make a lamp outta your skin, you fuckin’-”

Yuuri side stepped and stuck out his foot tripping Sergei. “You’re gonna have to catch me first,” Yuuri's laugh was sinister as he watched Sergei fall down. “You’re so drunk, you’re probably seeing three of me. You’re so fucking pathetic.” 

Sergei lifted himself to his hands and knees crawling forward in an attempt to right himself. “Pathetic, who’s pathetic?”

Yuuri’s foot found Sergei’s backside and shoved him down. “Stay down, buta. I’ve had it with you. With your type. The kind who likes to bully because they know they're actually weak pieces of shit, so they find lovely people like Anna and Victor to control because they are the light. And all you want to do is dim them. Well, I've fucking _had_ **it** , Sergei,” Yuuri spoke, watching Sergei try once more to stand. “What’s it feel like to be bullied, Sergei?” he asked, his foot finding the backside hiked in the air giving it a resounding kick.

“What’re you gonna do about it? Huh?” Sergei slurred. His own body gave out on him. He was too drunk to get his footing, so he rolled onto his back staring defiantly up at Yuuri. When his eyes focused on Yuuri, though, the defiance drained from his face leaving him pale as a ghost. Suddenly, Yuuri looked like a giant.

Yuuri’s eyebrow quirked up and he smirked. “Ah, there’s the recognition. Do you see it now, Sergei?” Yuuri slowly closed the distance to Sergei taking in his surroundings with the calmness of the eye of a hurricane. “Hindsight is always twenty/twenty. I bet now you wished you’d listened to me, don’t you?” 

His eyes glinted in the metal of the knife knocked to the ground earlier and he bent to scoop it up. Yuuri flipped it over in his hand, end over end, over and over as he surveyed the toy train. It dawned on him what Sergei used it for and he grimaced. 

“Someone has watched a certain Greenaway movie one too many times, haven’t they? You’re a sick fuck, Sergei. Ironic - and perhaps a bit unfortunate for you - that’s the other thing aside from Victor we have in common. Do you remember the end?”

Euphoric was the only way Yuuri could describe how he felt at that moment. He could feel every single red blood cell in his veins coursing through them, pumping loudly and frantically. Bliss washed over him as he watched the dawning of what was about to happen fall across Sergei’s features.

“Though, since I have no cook sashimi is on the menu tonight,” Yuuri winked and kicked Sergei in the face, then knelt down next to him. “Nice job with the soundproofing, Sergei. Because I'm gonna make sure this hurts. A lot.” With deft precision, Yuuri began to slice away a bit of Sergei's pride and joy, doing the best he could with the knife he had, though he may as well have been using a spoon.

Sergei screamed bloody murder and Yuuri laughed.

***

At the top of the stairs Victor found Anna passed out still wrapped in the blanket. Panicked he rushed to her and checked for a pulse. He heaved a sigh of relief when his touch roused her. “Mama? Mama! Oh, god, I’m calling the police!” he cried starting to stand, but she grabbed his hand.

“N-no,” Anna croaked, squeezing Victor’s hand. “They’ve done nothing in the past,” she sobbed gingerly uprighting herself. Wobbling, Victor caught her before she could fall again.

“We’ve got to get you help!” Victor insisted.

“T-take me to-”

“Please let me call an ambulance, Mama!” Victor pleaded, clutching his mother carefully but protectively.

“No! I don’t want- Just take me please, Vitya,” Anna begged her son tenderly stroking his cheek.

“Fine, fine!” Victor caved and grabbed the first set of keys he could find before scooping Anna up and carrying her to the garage. With Anna safely in the passenger seat Victor climbed in the driver's side, started it up and backed out of the garage like a maniac taking off down the street in much the same manner.

***

Anna was less than cooperative with the nurses when they insisted on contacting the police. Her story of getting robbed and beaten rang anything but true when compared to the trauma that displayed on her body. Cuts, bruises, obvious signs of rape, yet she insisted vehemently against the later sticking to her story of getting robbed on her way home from shopping unable to identify her attackers. It would be a waste of time giving a report.

Eventually they relented and Anna was able to rest, Victor by her side. Standing strong and silent for her holding her hand when she reached for it. Afraid to leave her side, Victor placed a chair as close as he could at the bedside and rested his head in her lap while she slept, finally dozing off himself.

***

The basement in Victor’s family home had finished spaces and unfinished spaces. The room Sergei had Anna held captive in was a finished bedroom. The room next to it, however, was unfinished and non-descript. A hole to reconfigure plumbing somewhere else inside the house had yet to be resealed with concrete.

Yuuri stood in the hole digging making it wider, deeper and longer. Sweat poured from his brow and made his shirt cling to his body as he heaved dirt from the hole to the ground above. Once satisfied with its measurements Yuuri hopped out of it with ease. He couldn’t be sure what time it was he only knew it was still dark outside. For all he knew tonight would never end.

Sergei’s eyes were wide and glassy, his face streaked with tears, dirt and blood, his mouth stuffed full with bits of his own severed cock. He wasn’t putting up a fuss, though. It was quite impossible being dead and all. A minor fuss was put up when Yuuri went to lift him and his dead weight refused to comply. Shrugging indifferently, Yuuri grabbed an ankle and dragged the lifeless corpse to the hole and rolled it in.

“Abayo,” Yuuri quipped, throwing the first pile of dirt onto Sergei thus ending his particularly cruel brand of terror.

***

The sunshine slowly crept across the room finally reaching Victor’s sleeping visage. Gently it warmed his crown as it continued its journey across his face to his eyes. It wasn’t until it came to his nose that he stirred, blinking slowly at first and yawning. Sitting up to stretch Victor took in his surroundings and the night before came flooding back like a rising tide. 

Panic crept in as he looked at his mother who was sleeping soundly, but his thoughts went quickly to Yuuri. Pulling his phone out of his pocket Victor hit Yuuri’s contact and called him. Stepping out of the room so as not to disturb Anna he closed the door behind him and waited for Yuuri to pick up.

“C’mon, c’mon…” Victor muttered, hopping from foot to foot.

“Hey Vitya, how’s Anna?” Yuuri’s soothing voice filtered through to Victor’s ear.

Heaving a sigh of relief Victor replied, “Ah, she’s resting right now. I can only hope her dreams aren’t tormenting her.” Keeping a keen eye on his surroundings for nosey people Victor lowered his voice and asked, “Are you okay? Where’s-”

“I’m great, Vitenka,” Yuuri told him not allowing him to finish his question. “And, you don’t have to worry about that ever again, okay?”

Victor wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. “Yuuri?”

“Go be with Anna until she wakes, okay? I love you.” Yuuri’s demeanor assuaged Victor to the point of asking no more questions and complying.

“Alright, my prince. I love you, too,” Victor promised, blowing Yuuri a kiss through the receiver. “We’ll see you soon.

***

With the hole filled in Yuuri decided to go ahead and finish the floor for Anna completely. It looked as though the only thing it needed - prior to his usage of the convenient hole - was a layer of concrete and whomever was responsible for it never got around to it. Yuuri also decided that person was Sergei as Victor certainly would have finished it had the task been given to him.

Shirtless and sweaty from so much exertion Yuuri mixed up some concrete and got to work leveling out the ground. His hair stuck to his forehead and sweat dripped onto the freshly laid floor as he used a trowel to ensure an even and unmarred surface. As though it had always been that way. Once he was finished he cleared the room of any other erroneous debris and closed the door on his way out.

***

When Anna came to it was noontime and she insisted Victor help her gather her things so they could leave much to Victor’s chagrin.

“Mama! You need to rest!” he objected as she spilled her legs over the side of the bed.

“I can rest at the onsen. I don’t want to remain here, Vitya,” Anna told him shuffling to the bathroom. “If your father has hurt your Yuuri, then-”

“Yuuri is alright, Mama,” Victor said to her, “I spoke to him earlier this morning.”

“And, Sergei?” she called from the bathroom after a short pause.

Leaning against the bed with his arms crossed over his chest Victor replied, “Yuuri said we didn’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Oh, what did he do, kill him?” Anna asked sarcastically as she exited the bathroom, now dressed, her hair brushed and falling over her face to hide the bruises as much as possible.

“Mama! Of course not!” Victor swore shocked at such an accusation. Though, Victor did have to wonder himself.

“It’s the least that man deserves, Vitya,” Anna hummed, looking about ensuring she had all of her things. “I still don’t want to stay here, I want to go back to the Katsukis. I should have had you take me there in the first place.”

Victor had no choice but to follow his mother out of the hospital and to the car. “Fine, we have to pick up Yuuri first.”

“Obviously!”

***

With the house put back in order Yuuri went up to where Victor’s room was and rummaged around the decimated area for a shirt of some kind. Finding an old Toros tee he slipped it over his head smoothing it over his body. He didn’t notice the ‘NIKIFOROV’ across the shoulders on the back over the number ‘7.’

Just as his feet hit the ground floor the door into the garage opened and Anna and Victor walked through. When Victor’s eyes landed on Yuuri he beamed. “Yuuri!”

Anna shrugged Victor off of her. “Go hug him for heaven’s sake!”

Giggling, Victor rushed to Yuuri and threw his arms around his neck. Whispering in Yuuri’s ear he said, “I’m so relieved to see you’re okay!”

Returning the embrace Yuuri smiled and kissed Victor’s cheek. “Was there ever any doubt?”

Victor pulled out of Yuuri’s arms enough to look him in the eye and he shook his head. “Nn. Never.” Their reunion distracted them from noticing that Anna had made her way to the basement. “Where’d Mama go?” Victor asked, fixing his gaze around the room.

That’s when Yuuri noticed the open basement door. “It looks like she went downstairs?”

“Oh no,” Victor shuddered, pulling from Yuuri and rushing downstairs. “Mama! It’s too ear- Eh?” Victor stopped in his tracks when he hit the bottom floor. “Yuuri, what the hell is this?”

The bedroom where the horrible scene took place was spotless. Every corner, every cranny. Nary a spider web or dustbunny remained. The bed was made with fresh sheets and the garbage was taken out. The scent of linen and apple cinnamon floated through the air. All the blood smeared on the walls was washed away as though they were never there. Carpet stains, eradicated.

Meeting the son and mother in the room Yuuri queried, “What do you mean? I cleaned up? I didn’t want Anna to come home to that nightmare of a mess.” Yuuri seemed perplexed that they were surprised. “You certainly didn’t need to worry about it, Anna.”

Anna cast a look around her gaze landing on the closed door for a moment longer than anywhere else, but continued on further into the bedroom. “Yuuri, this room has never been so clean! This _basement_ has never looked so clean!”

Yuuri just laughed and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed. “Ah, thank you.”

That’s when Victor noticed the shirt Yuuri was wearing, mostly because when Yuuri raised his arm to rub the back of his neck, it lifted and exposed part of Yuuri’s stomach. Something Victor was weak for and he gasped audibly. “Yuuri~! Is that my junior varsity tee?”

Dropping his arm but holding it and the other slightly out and away from himself as he looked down at his torso and twisted around to look at the back he asked, “I don’t know, I guess so?” He laughed when he confirmed it. “My shirt was pretty gross after cleaning up and I found this in the mess in your room.”

“Mess?” Victor blinked curiously.

“Y-yeah, it looks like Sergei probably threw a fit in there,” Yuuri admitted sadly. “I’m sorry.”

Victor grinned a bit and shrugged, “It’s okay, I took the most important things out of there already. Except, apparently that shirt, which is now yours and you will have to wear for me often.”

“Vitya, I am standing _right_ **here** ,” Anna sighed, playfully grossed out and gagging.

Laughing and wrapping his arms around Anna Victor kissed her crown and apologized, “Izvini, Mama.”

***

When she found the house so clean and fresh Anna felt as though she could go back to the home she once shared with Sergei. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but the house somehow felt lighter and brighter than it had in years. Perhaps it was the finished floor in the utility room that put her at such ease? She couldn’t say, but she knew Sergei would never hurt her or her son again.

So, she returned to Yu-Topia Katsuki long enough to collect her few belongings and say a proper ‘good-bye’ and ‘thank you’ to the Katsuki family. “I don’t know how I can possibly thank you for your hospitality!” she said, bowing deeply at the waist before Hiroko and Toshiya. 

Both of them smiled broadly and returned her bow. “It was what family does for each other, is it not?” Hiroko said, taking Anna’s hand in hers. 

The warmth there caused tears to spill down Anna’s cheeks and she nodded. “Y-yes,” she agreed and pulled Hiroko into a rare hug that she returned unabashedly.

“We are grateful to your son for loving our son, and we love you both very much. You are family now, Anna-chan.”

Meanwhile, Mari sat with Yuuri while Victor showered.

“I had no choice, nee-chan,” Yuuri whispered, his tone even. “If you had witnessed what I did…” he paused, taking a deep breath he continued, “you would have done the same.”

Mari noticed the shirt he wore. “Where’s your shirt?” she asked entirely undisturbed by what Yuuri just admitted to. She knew Sergei was up to no good, she just really had no idea it was something as horrific as the story Yuuri just told. And, she had warned Sergei he might step in it and stepped in it he had.

“My… Shirt? It’s here,” Yuuri said, pulling it out of the garbage bin in his room.

“Take off your pants and give them to me. Take out anything important,” Mari said standing and holding an impatient hand out.

“Mari nee-chan!” Yuuri said, surprised.

“Well, you can’t _keep_ them,” she said smartly, raising an eyebrow at Yuuri and snapping her fingers. “Off with them. I’ll incinerate them in the furnace.”

The lightbulb in his head shone bright suddenly and he removed his pants as he was told. To be on the safe side he handed over the boxer briefs he wore after she turned around to give him the privacy necessary to remove and replace them, as well as the shoes and socks he wore. Each item he removed he was grateful he hadn’t decided to wear any of his favorite things when they left in the middle of the night.

“Thanks, Mari nee-chan,” Yuuri murmured gratefully.

Tossing a warm smile over her shoulder, Mari replied, “Family sticks together. And, like you said, he had it comin’. Now, go check on that handsome boyfriend of yours. Nice catch, by the way!”

“Nee-chan!” Yuuri huffed, blushing from his toes to his crown. He could hear her jovial laugh until she disappeared downstairs. At any rate she gave good advice and Yuuri decided to follow it. Checking Victor’s room proved to be prudent as the knock Yuuri placed on the shoji door was replied to with a ‘come in!’ from inside.

Sliding the door open Yuuri entered, still wearing the shirt he took from Victor’s room, but now in his regular sleep pants; he decided the shirt would become his new sleep shirt. “Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked, entering to find Victor sitting on his bed with a pillow in his lap, clutching it.

Victor shrugged and sighed, “I- I don’t really know? I mean, how do we know Mama is safe in that house? What if he comes back? Someone should be with her.”

Yuuri sat down on the bed crossing his legs beneath him facing Victor. “He won’t.”

“He didn’t listen to you before,” Victor replied, trying to contain the tone of fear in his voice.

“That’s true,” Yuuri nodded, holding eye contact with Victor, “but I can assure it this time.”

“But-”

“Vitenka, do you trust me?” Yuuri asked, reaching out and cupping Victor’s cheek and stroking it with a thumb.

“I do, but-”

“Then, trust me when I say to you, he will never bother you or Anna _ever_ again.”

Dropping his pillow Victor took Yuuri’s hands into his own and pressed their foreheads together. “Mm, okay. I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fignya - 'bullshit' in Russian  
> Ublyudok - 'motherfucker' in Russian  
> Izvini - 'I'm sorry' in Russian  
> der'mo - 'shit!' in Russian
> 
> Kisama - 'motherfucker' in Japanese (actually an incredibly rude way of saying 'you,' only used in manga/anime)  
> Yokatta! - 'thank goodness' in Japanese  
> Chikushō - 'shit' in Japanese  
> buta - 'pig' in Japanese
> 
> Title: Blood Like Lemonade by Morcheeba
> 
> Greenaway Movie Reference: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover


	5. They Don't Love You Like I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri get a place of their own and settle into life in Denver. Things at home become tense with Yuuri working excessive overtime. Victor's plan to get Yuuri to focus on him again backfires in a terrifying way when he invites a co-worker over to hang out while Yuuri is at work.
> 
> Not happy with how they'd left things, Yuuri works a regular shift and returns home early to find Victor in danger. Enraged, Yuuri deals with it in his own way; Victor learns something about himself along the way and they finally fully consummate their relationship.
> 
> Afterward, they have a body to deal with. Yuuri has the perfect way to get rid of it and at the same time introduce Victor to his hotel family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We meet the Nishigori's and Minami! Also, some douchebag OC named Chad. Don't get attached to that guy. He's bad news. 
> 
> For this chapter:
> 
> CW// underage drinking (Victor -18), murder via strangulation, dead body in room during sex, first time, Yuuri tells Victor what happened to Sergei, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover discussion (spoiler alert to anyone who hasn't seen, but perhaps is intrigued and intends to watch it - it's actually quite good, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Tim Roth - fantastic cast, gorgeous cinematics, color-coded, noir noir noir), body disposal via incineration, crime scene clean up (although not graphic),
> 
> TW// assault (Chad/Victor), sexual assault (Chad/Victor), attempted rape (Chad/Victor), first time (Victor/Yuuri)

Not long after the incident with Anna in August Yuuri and Victor decided it was time to set out and start their life together and on their own. Having worked at Bashas before Victor was able to transfer his job to one in Denver. Yuuri, having experience working in a ryokan was able to get work at a hotel chain in housekeeping.

They settled into a cozy one-bedroom mid-century style apartment that had an amazing view of the city with the mountains in the background, despite being on only the fifth floor of the building; that was the focal point when one first entered. Entering the domicile one landed immediately in a decent sized kitchen with a closet and hidden washer/dryer unit directly to one’s left. Beyond the kitchen was a dining room with a round table that could seat four comfortably, six not so much. 

A lovely credenza separated the dining area from the living area which contained a plush and comfy couch, a matching oversized chair sitting perpendicular to it, cradling a coffee table that held different style magazines, a couple of burned candles, all the remotes in the world, and an erroneous coffee mug on a coaster.

As the view - which included a balcony large enough for a small bistro set and small potted tree - took up two of the three walls in the living area, a large flat screen TV hung on the wall shared with the bedroom, over the gas fireplace. 

Double doors opened into their bedroom which also had an excellent view of the city. Their queen size mattress sat atop a walnut platform bed frame with a minimalist spindle headboard and was messily made with cream colored sheets designed to look perpetually wrinkled and too many pillows.

A nightstand sat on each side of the bed. Adorned with mismatched lamps, phone chargers, books, lotion, a bluetooth speaker on Yuuri’s, a pill bottle on Victor’s side, and other odds and ends that accumulate when living with another person. A small flat screen TV sat atop their vertical dresser that matched the nightstands, which in turn matched the bed frame. Photos of the couple at prom and graduation were nestled in with a family portrait and one of them with their group of friends.

Due to the fact Yuuri still had yet to turn eighteen, though it was just around the corner, and Victor having basically no credit of which to speak, Anna was more than happy to co-sign a lease for Victor, since he could be the only one on the three-month lease for the time being. The place coming fully furnished was a bonus they were surprised they were able to afford between the two of them.

In the beginning, living in the city was exciting for the young couple. Originally, Yuuri had no job and relied on his savings for the deposit and other odds and ends, while Victor was the only one with a solid job set in place. And, because Yuuri still liked to get up to run, Victor would join him then after showering, they’d walk hand-in-hand to the nearest coffee shop and discuss their pending days. 

Sometimes, getting up to run and/or get ready for work was more difficult than others due to their habit of checking out the local nightclubs and gay bars in the area that allowed in teens, and staying out later than they probably should. But they were young and dumb, and eager to learn what their life could be like together.

That all changed when Yuuri became gainfully employed at his job at The Hotel and started working overtime as soon as he was able. It became such that while Victor was sleeping Yuuri was at work and vice versa. To top it off, while Victor had two days off each week from work, Yuuri only had one. This was by choice, however, because of the overtime he worked. His goal was to regain the savings he used to help with the deposit on their home. He liked to have padding. Just in case.

After about a month of this Victor couldn’t understand how many more hours of overtime Yuuri had to work to regain what he’d used. Certainly, by now he’d made it back and then some. Victor missed his boyfriend something fierce.

“I want us to be comfortable, Vitya,” Yuuri said when Victor approached the subject one morning at breakfast. They were sitting at the dining table on one of their rare shared mornings off.

“Well, _I’d_ like to make out with my boyfriend every once in a while, but I can’t _do_ that if he’s never around or always _asleep_!” Victor complained, excusing himself from the table and closing himself in the bedroom.

“Vitya! Come on!” Yuuri called after him.

It was becoming more and more frequent that Victor would do that. Get up and walk away from a conversation rather than deal with it. It worried Yuuri, but he didn’t know what else to do. If they both didn’t work, they wouldn’t be able to remain in their apartment. And, he’d be damned if he ruined Anna’s credit.

Once the table was cleared of breakfast remnants, Yuuri went to the bedroom door and tried to enter, but found it locked and his heart sank. “Vitya,” he called, softly through the door, “let me in.”

Suddenly, the door flew open and Victor exited in his work shirt, his apron in his hand. “It’s all yours. I’m going to work,” he said, brushing past Yuuri.

“I thought you had today off?” Yuuri asked, concerned. He followed Victor to the kitchen and watched helplessly as Victor put on his shoes and checked his person for everything he needed.

“I did, I decided to pull some OT,” Victor said, not looking at Yuuri. “I want us to be _comfortable_ ,” he said with heavy sarcasm and left without so much as a ‘goodbye’ or kiss.

***

“I’m tired of spending one of my two days off by myself,” Victor complained to a co-worker he’d become friendly with named Chad. Chad worked in the deli department whereas Victor was still in the bakery, the proximity for the departments mere feet apart. 

Whether or not Chad was attractive, Victor didn’t notice. Because while he was feeling uncertain in his relationship with Yuuri - they _still_ hadn’t gone all the way - he was utterly head-over-heels for the man who had saved him and his mother more than once and deep down he knew Yuuri felt the same.

“Have you talked to him about it?” Chad asked, keeping busy cleaning up the counter and surrounding area.

“I’ve tried, but he just blows me off,” Victor told Chad, keeping less busy leaning against a counter.

“Doesn’t sound like a very good boyfriend to me,” Chad replied, shrugging and wiping off his hands, turning his attention to Victor.

“Ah, he’s actually really great and is a very hard worker,” Victor said, sighing. “Maybe I’m being too hard on him.”

“I don’t know, doesn’t sound like it to me.” Satisfied that the deli counter was as spotless as he was going to be able to get it, Chad leaned against one of his own counters facing Victor, crossing his arms over his chest. “You deserve better than to be neglected like that.”

“He doesn’t neglect me, our schedules just… suck.” Victor huffed and pulled away from the counter and readjusted his hair in his hairnet. “Never mind that, I just need to figure out a way to get him to notice me again.”

Jokingly Chad said, “I should come over while he isn’t there to make him jealous.”

 _Light bulb moment:_ ** _make Yuuri jealous._** _Of course!_ How could Victor have forgotten? Victor smiled widely and brightly. “How does tomorrow sound? It’ll be better than spending it alone like I have been doing.”

“It just so happens I have the next couple of days off.”

***

Chad could barely contain his excitement after Victor invited him over to his place. He managed to hold it in until he got home after his shift, though. For weeks Chad pinned after Victor. When Victor transferred from the Bashas in his hometown Chad was immediately struck. Never had he seen platinum hair so fine, eyes so blue, or skin so flawlessly creamy on any other human. 

At times, Chad would wonder if Victor was even real. His laugh lilted and carried, causing anyone who heard it to smile. Chad thought talking to him or having a real conversation with Victor would be an impossible feat. Not because Chad thought Victor was probably dumb, quite the contrary. The conversations he overheard before he and Victor became friendly blew his mind. That hint of a Russian accent didn’t hurt, either. 

Chad was hooked; trouble was, Victor already had a pretty steady boyfriend despite being so young. Becoming friendly with Victor was a kind of dream, even more so when Chad became what some would call Victor’s ‘work husband’ because they could be found talking and hanging out often. Though, Victor’s favorite subject was Yuuri, his boyfriend. 

It wasn’t that Chad didn’t like Yuuri, he just thought he could be a better and more attentive boyfriend than Yuuri seemed to be. So when Victor invited Chad over while Yuuri wasn’t home, it was all he could do not explode like a volcano in front of the platinum haired beauty.

He thought the cold shower would help, but it only made Chad think of fucking Victor in a cold shower. A soapy hand gripped his firm cock and began to tug. “Nggh, Victor…”

***

When Victor returned home that night the atmosphere was tense to say the least. Victor was still mad about the lack of time Yuuri spent with him versus at his job at the hotel. They didn’t talk much and barely looked at each other. Dinner was eaten in silence and their usual nightly routine of watching their favorite show was skipped, the two of them turning in early for the night.

When Victor woke Yuuri was already gone and his heart ached a little. Is this what it was going to be like? Ships passing in the night? Going to sleep with no kisses or cuddles? No, today would turn everything around. He would have Chad over as planned and find some small way to let Yuuri know another man had been in his space.

Victor’s relationship with Chad didn’t extend beyond work, usually. This would be the first time they’d ever meet outside of it. Feeling a little nervous, Victor wandered around the space he shared with Yuuri fluffing pillows, straightening magazines, and dusting. 

And, since this wasn’t a _date_ Victor decided to dress casually, in a pair of loose fitting khaki capris and an oversized cream colored shirt with blue horizontal stripes, long sleeves (pushed up to his forearms) and boat-neck top. Pulling his hair out of the shirt and quickly threw it into a messy braid, draping it over his shoulder. All he had to do now was wait and spend some innocent time with a coworker.

Chad showed up early by quite a bit, actually, but the fifth of Stolichnaya softened the early intrusion. “My mother always taught me to bring a gift when coming to a person’s home for the first time. I hope this isn’t too forward?” Chad said, handing the bottle over to Victor as he entered the apartment.

“Ah, no! I appreciate the gesture!” Victor assured Chad, placing the bottle in the freezer to get a chill on it. Victor’s back to Chad, he couldn’t help but grin because this was _perfect_. _Where did this bottle of vodka come from, Vitya? Hm? Oh, that, I had Chad over today._ He couldn’t have written the script any better himself. “We’ll just let it get chilly before cracking it open, yeah?” Victor said, putting it in the freezer.

“Absolutely,” Chad agreed with a charming smile, his eyes lingering on Victor as the younger man turned away to place the bottle in the freezer.

“Please, come in. Make yourself at home,” Victor said, waving Chad inside oblivious to Chad and his wanton glare. “Can I get you some coffee or water for now?”

“Ah, water is great,” Chad said, entering the space further. Casting a look around as he took a seat on the couch, he decided he could get used to living in a place like this with Victor. He just had to play his cards right. Victor looked like a vision in his cozy outfit with his beautiful hair in a lazy plait casually strewn over his shoulder. He couldn’t help but stare when Victor neared him, a glass of water in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

“Here you go,” Victor said with a smile, handing off the glass of water to Chad and taking a seat on the couch not too far away from him.

“Ah, great, thanks,” Chad accepted the glass, but placed it on a coaster on the coffee table. He knew if he held it in his hand, it would spill due to the sweating in his palms. “So, thanks for having me over.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Victor said with a smile, taking a sip of coffee after blowing gently across the top. He sat with one leg up casually bent and laying on the couch, the other had its foot placed on the ground. An elbow rested languidly on the back of the couch as it cradled the coffee mug in his palm. 

It took a little bit to get a conversation going, but once Chad learned Victor played football in high school the ice broke.

“I can’t believe I never knew you played football? And, almost went pro? What happened?” Chad asked with keen interest. He couldn’t stop staring at Victor’s lips when he spoke or blew on his coffee or drank from the mug. There were so many things he wanted to do with and to those lips.

“Ah, it wasn’t really my dream, it was more my father’s dream for me. Just because I was great at it-” 

“Oh, so humble about it, too!” Chad laughed, scooting closer to Victor.

“Ha, I mean, when you’re good, you’re good, right?” Victor, proud of his accomplishment in spite of not loving it, wiggled his shoulders. “Plus, I didn’t think Yuuri would come with me. We actually broke up for a minute over it.”

“You gave up your dream for your boyfriend? Geez, Victor that’s-” 

Shaking his head vehemently Victor disagreed, “No, no. He wanted me to go pro, but he didn’t think I’d get drafted due to our relationship. It was ass backwards, but he wanted it for me if it was what I wanted, but I didn’t. And don’t.”

“If you say so,” Chad replied, backing off. “Think the vodka is chilled enough now?”

“Oh!” Victor cried, leaping from the couch. “Yes, thank you for reminding me.” In the kitchen, Victor removed the bottle from the freezer and retrieved two juice glasses from the cabinet. “I apologize for the glasses, we don’t have proper tumblers,” he called, his back to Chad.

“No worries,” Chad assured him, not taking his eyes off of Victor. God he was beautiful.

Back in the living room Victor cracked the bottle and poured a shot for each of them. He set the bottle down and lifted his glass as Chad lifted his own, saying, “Za nashu druzhbu!”

Chad repeated as best he could, “Za nashu druzhby!” And they both drank.

And drank. And laughed and talked some more. And drank some more. A couple of hours passed and Victor was feeling warm, so he opened the sliding glass door to the balcony. Chad thought the flushed look on Victor’s face was just about the sweetest thing he had ever seen, so when Victor sat back down he dared to reach out and pull Victor into a kiss.

Stunned for a moment Victor quickly pulled away and put his hands up in defense. “Whoa, hey.”

“Oh, come on,” Chad murmured, staring at Victor’s lips, “you must have liked it a little. When’s the last time Yuuri kissed you like this?” he asked, closing the distance between him and Victor placing a hand on his hip to tug him closer.

“Stop it, Chad,” Victor told him pulling from his grasp. “This isn’t funny.”

“I’m not trying to be funny, Victor,” Chad replied, no humor in his tone. “I’m just trying to show you what a real man is like.” When he tried to kiss Victor again Victor slapped him and on reflex he hit Victor back, dazing an already intoxicated Victor. “Ah, c’mon, my sexy Russian doll,” Chad purred, tossing a limp Victor over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, then carried him to the bedroom.

*

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**SKIP AHEAD IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ VICTOR'S ASSAULT**

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Victor felt heavy, like there was a weight on him and his head throbbed with the _worst_ headache he’d ever had in his short life. Even though the weight on him was warm, Victor felt cool air all over his body, a subtle indication that he was naked. 

Groaning, his surroundings were still fuzzy, but he could feel that the weight was moving on top of him, grinding against him and he was being licked, rather sucked on. The sensation in his nipples was strange and it hurt. The hands roaming aimlessly over his body were rough and calloused. Everything felt _wrong_.

Victor’s eyes snapped open and craned his neck down to see light brown locks growing out of the crown of the head of the person sucking his nipple. Violently, Victor tried to get away, but found he was bound by each wrist to the headboard with ties normally found in the closet. 

“What the fuck are you doing?!” he screamed wriggling, looking up at his bound wrists, trying to unbind himself. “Get off of me!”

“Mmm, you don’t mean that,” Chad murmured, not making eye contact with Victor. Instead, straddling Victor’s hips, Chad straightened and his eyes washed over Victor’s entire body. He reached out and cupped Victor’s face, stroking it allowing that same hand to drag down over Victor’s neck, then chest, then abs. “God, you’re fucking perfect.”

Struggling beneath Chad, Victor tried kicking but to no avail. Chad was too high up on him for it to be effective. “Get off of me! Chad, please don’t do this!”

“What do you mean? You invited me over for this, didn’t you? Drank my alcohol, got drunk with me,” Chad purred, drooling over every inch of Victor’s alabaster skin.

“No, I-” The realization slowly crept up on Victor that Chad had tricked him. _Oh no._ “NO! HELP!!!”

Stuffing Victor’s underwear in his mouth, Chad got off of him long enough to turn on the TV in the bedroom and turn up the volume. Turning back to Victor he grinned a sinister grin and put a finger to his lips saying, “Shhh, we’re gonna have some fun.”

*

*

**YOU'RE SAFE FOR NOW**

*

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***

It was a strange night at work for Yuuri. Abnormally slow, Yuuri made the decision to go home at his regularly scheduled time and spend some proper time with Vitya. The way they’d left things didn’t sit well with him and he wanted to make it up to his love somehow. The messages he sent went unanswered all day which didn’t help his unease.

On his way home, Yuuri stopped to pick up some of Victor’s favorite takeout. Food always made Victor happy and pliable, easier to reason with. Yuuri would stop working so much overtime, but for Victor to hear him he had to be willing to listen.

When Yuuri entered his home he called out, “Tadaima!” Kicking off his shoes he set the food down on the counter and hung his messenger bag on its usual hook. When Victor didn’t reply Yuuri started to call out again, but he noticed the two glasses on the coffee table along with the half empty bottle of Stoli. 

“What the-” Yuuri’s stomach dropped when he noticed the closed bedroom doors and sound blaring beyond it. Would Victor go so far as to cheat on him out of spite? Quietly but quickly, Yuuri made his way to the doors and opened one as quietly as he could.

Rage filled him in an instant. Victor was definitely _not_ cheating on him, but _who the_ **_fuck was this asshole?_ ** Yuuri’s eyes quickly scanned the room for something… They landed on a belt in a pair of pants that he knew must belong to whomever this fucker was and he bent down and snatched it from the loops.

*** 

*

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 **SKIP AHEAD IF YOU SKIPPED** **BEFORE**

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Victor’s eyes were squeezed shut tight and he wriggled and fought as best he could against the man who was seconds from penetrating him. “No! NOO!!! Don’t! STOOOOOOP!!!” _Oh god, oh god! If he- Yuuri will never want me! Nooo! NOOOO! Yuuuriiii!!!_ “Yuuuurriiii! YUUURIIII!!!!” Victor screamed in desperation as he flailed, refusing to look at Chad. “NOOO!!”

“He’s at work, remember? That’s why _I’m_ here,” Chad moaned, slicking his fingers with saliva and tracing Victor’s rim. “I can’t wait to get in here,” Chad sighed, just savoring the feeling of Victor’s tight rim twitching against his index finger. “You’ll beg me not to stop, I promise.”

“NOOO!!!”

*

*

*

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**YOU'RE SUPER SAFE**

There was a long pause, then movement that felt erratic to Victor and he dared to open his eyes. Chad was reaching out toward him with one hand, the other clawing at his neck, his eyes bulging and his face turning red, then purple as the veins strained against the skin. 

The fear Victor felt moments ago washed away and turned to curiosity when he noticed the leather strap around Chad’s neck. _Who?_ His eyes flicked over Chad’s shoulder and saw the familiar dark mop belonging to Yuuri.

“Yuuri!!” Victor cried, relief washing over him in an instant. Though, he expected Yuuri to let Chad go once he had the piece of shit on the ground, but Yuuri didn’t let Chad go. Not until Chad stopped moving.

Then and only then did Yuuri turn his focus to Victor. “Jesus _Christ_ , Vitya! Are you okay?!” Yuuri asked, frantic as he unbound Victor’s wrists. As soon as he was able, Victor’s arms wrapped tightly around Yuuri.

“You came for me! You saved me!” Victor sobbed, crumbling in Yuuri’s arms. “He- Yuuri he-” he hiccupped and choked out the words, “I’m sorry!”

Taking Victor’s face in his hands, Yuuri tried to get Victor to focus on him. “Hey! Don’t you apologize! I don’t care if you invited him into this bedroom, it’s where you are _now_ that matters, Vitya! Look at me, look at me!”

Victor’s eyes were wild until Yuuri was able to get him to focus. “Yuuri, I-”

Crushing Victor to his chest, Yuuri hushed him. “Shhh, there’s nothing you have to apologize for, understand? Deep breaths, Vitenka, deep breaths.” Yuuri began to inhale deeply through his nose, exhaling out of his mouth to encourage Victor. “There you go, just like that, that’s my guy,” Yuuri cooed, stroking Victor’s hair and rocking him as Victor’s breathing returned to normal. “Do you want to go to hospital? Talk to me, tell me what you need, what you want.”

Fiercely, Victor shook his head, clutching Yuuri tight. “No, n-no. I- He didn’t- Oh, _Yuuri_ ,” he began to sob uncontrollably. And, Yuuri let him, cradling Victor and rocking him until it seemed he couldn’t cry anymore.

“Yu-uri,” Victor asked quietly once he was able, “Chad isn’t moving.” Victor couldn’t help but stare at the lifeless from just feet away from them over Yuuri’s shoulder as he clung desperately to him. It was remarkably fascinating.

“He’d fucking better not be,” Yuuri replied evenly.

Deep down Victor knew this shouldn’t make him happy, he knew his heart shouldn’t be soaring the way it was right then, but it did and was. His heart was positively _dancing_ inside his chest, and he just _knew_ that Yuuri had done the same to Sergei. “I love you, solnyshko. Thank you for saving me, again,” he murmured, trying to crawl inside Yuuri.

“I love you, Vitenka,” Yuuri whispered and kissed Victor’s crown, “I will _always_ save you. Do you understand?”

Victor turned his face up to look at Yuuri, blushing hard he nodded saying, “I do.” The right decision, staying with Yuuri. Victor did not like football and cared very little about being rich or famous, but he _loved_ Yuuri and cared very much about living every moment with him. Surrounded in Yuuri’s safe, warm arms, Victor buried his face in Yuuri’s neck and nuzzled him. _Peculiar_ , Victor thought, _that I should feel…yearning?_

“Yuuri~,” he hummed against his lover’s neck.

“Mmhm?” Yuuri wasn’t quite ready to let Victor go, but if that’s what he wanted-

“Make love to me?” Victor asked, pleading.

“Huh?!” Yuuri tried to look Victor in the eyes, but Victor was suddenly quite octopus-like, refusing to let go. It wasn’t long before he could feel Victor sucking at his neck. “Vi-tya…” he moaned, his eyes lulling closed. Victor’s naked body grinding against him made it difficult to refuse the man. “You just-”

“I know!” Victor cried and started to sob again.

“You aren’t ready to- For this…” 

“Yes! I am! Yuuri! He almost-” Victor closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “It _has_ to be you! Yuuri! It _has to be_! Otherwise, otherwise you won’t want me! He almost ruined me for you!”

 _Oh._ Yuuri smiled a sweet but sad smile and stroked Victor’s hair, then his cheeks, wiping away pearl-sized tears from them with his thumbs. Giant beautiful blue orbs implored him. “Nothing could ruin you for me, Vitenka,” he said, pressing their foreheads together. “Not a fucking thing.”

“I still want you, right now.”

“Now? With the bo-”

“Yes.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Yuuri~,” Victor sighed, laying back on the bed exposing all of him to his love, “shut up and fuck me already.”

***

Yuuri wasn’t sure why his mouth went dry. It wasn’t as though he’d never seen Victor sprawled before him like this; open, beautiful, wanton. The platinum hair Yuuri adored so much splayed around Victor messily, the plait it had been in unknown to Yuuri.

Victor looked so demure and angelic. All creamy and sweet, a coy hand placed near his delicate pink lips as his flawless visage turned ever so slightly into it. And, those eyes. Penetrating sea blue eyes with long, luscious lashes gazing coquettishly up at him, luring him down like a pair of sirens to his death.

“O-okay, we don’t have any condoms or lube-” Yuuri wasn’t really trying to put off this sacred moment, he just wanted to make _sure_.

Victor’s coy smile turned devilishly needy and his eyes narrowed lustfully. “I trust you’ve never let anyone else anywhere near your cock?” he asked, trailing fingers from one hand over his own chest, while the other remained close to his mouth, toes trailed down Yuuri’s fly giving a tender press to his cock.

Yuuri snorted, his eyes fixed on the fingers trailing over Victor’s perfection. “Obviously,” he grunted from the contact.

“Me neither, until just then, anyway.” Victor pouted for a brief second, then he continued, “And, you have a tongue, right?” Victor’s eyes twinkled up at Yuuri.

Yuuri cleared his throat. “Y-yeah, yes,” he answered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand; at least it wasn’t dry anymore. 

“Great, now if you try to come up with one more excuse, Yuuri, I will take you myself. ‘Kay?”

“Ha, okay,” Yuuri chuckled and bent down to give Victor a proper kiss.

***

This time Victor knew it was the right time for him and Yuuri. There was no tension, no pressure. Just him and Yuuri reliving moments they’d lived before with one another. The same tender touches and urgent but sweet kisses. Hands roaming everywhere, fingers exploring everything, mouths and tongues reestablishing connections lost.

Victor found himself face down on the mattress, his hips hiked in the air as he clutched a pillow tightly beneath him. The urge to bury his face in it was great, but watching Yuuri eat him from behind was too enticing to look away from.

Slowly, painfully so, Yuuri stroked Victor’s length as he licked and slurped between Victor’s well muscled cheeks. “Yu-” Victor croaked through panting and gulps of air, “Yu- please!” His toes curled and uncurled as he writhed beneath Yuuri.

“I think I-” Yuuri panted, too enthralled with Victor’s pretty pink rim to be able to focus on anything else, “I think I have to prepare you?”

“What?” Victor asked, delirious.

“I can’t just _stick_ it in!”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt you! I’ve-” Yuuri blushed and bit his lip hard. “In videos I’ve watched, the bottom is always prepared first.” Beet red he avoided eye contact with Victor, he was so embarrassed.

Victor started to laugh. “Katsuki Yuuri~! Have you been watching **porn** with _out_ me?” he asked, his lust-filled eyes gleaming with amusement.

Yuuri huffed. “I was doing _research_ for if we… If this moment arrived, I wanted to have _some_ idea how to do it so you enjoy it, too.”

The amusement covering Victor’s face was replaced with awe. “ _Yuuuriii~_ , that’s so sweet!”

“So, should I-?”

“Do what you need to do, lover,” Victor purred, his long hair draping over his shoulder and framing his face like a wanton demon as he looked at Yuuri.

Yuuri nodded and stuck his index finger in his mouth, dousing it in saliva. A string of the stuff trailed from his lips to the finger as the finger made its trip to its destination at Victor’s entrance, swirling around it for a moment before slipping in up to the first knuckle. Victor hissed and jerked, biting the pillow.

“Is that too much?” Yuuri froze in place.

Victor shook his head fervently. “St-stop _asking me_! I’ll _tell you_ if I want to stop! I did before! Trust me the same way I trust you!” 

That struck him hard. “Okay.” Yuuri sank the finger in all the way, indulging in the sound that emitted from Victor as he did so. A kind of high-pitched squeal that ended in a low, satisfied groan. Slowly, he pulled it out, then pushed back in. Repeating the motion until he thought he could add another finger.

“Nngghh…” Victor groaned heady and lewd, and buried his face in the pillow holding his breath. The tingles and shivers cascading over his body were sensational but overwhelming. The feeling of being filled felt nothing like anything he’d ever experienced before, and with Yuuri taking his time, Victor thought he’d pass out.

“Neh, breathe, Vitya,” Yuuri soothed, keeping his movement even. His free hand tenderly ran over round, firm cheeks and up Victor’s tactile back. A heavy exhale fell out of Victor and Yuuri felt the muscles around his fingers relax. “There you go, don’t hold it in,” he cooed, leaning forward and placing a kiss between Victor’s shoulder blades. “Breathe, my love.”

“Ahhh, Yu-uuuriii…” Victor’s muffled moan encouraged Yuuri’s inner exploration and he pushed his fingers in deeper. “AHN!” Victor cried out and cobra’d up from the pillow, his eyes and mouth flying wide open. 

But Yuuri didn’t stop as was his instinct because Victor didn’t tell him to, instead he repeated the motion that caused the sound that ripped through Victor moments prior. “There! There!” Victor groaned, delirium wrapped around it like a wool blanket. Yuuri thought he’d wriggle away.

A small grin fell across Yuuri’s lips and followed direction. “Right _there_?” he asked, teasing the sensitive spot within, his free fingers fanned out to reach as deeply as possible.

“DA!” Victor squeaked and bucked. “I think I’m ready…” he panted, seeing stars from Yuuri’s tormenting. “Yuuri~, please…”

Yuuri spread Victor’s legs apart and settled between them, then spit into his hand and massaged his own cock for a moment, ensuring its slickness and hardness, then for good measure spit onto Victor’s hole. Spreading Victor’s cheeks wide, Yuuri settled the tip on the rim and rubbed it over and over, provoking Victor further. 

“ _Yuuuriii~!!_ ”

He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped the split second before he gave into Victor and pressed against him. The tight muscle sucked him in immediately and Yuuri wasn’t sure how long he would last, Victor was so dense around him. 

“Oh, _fuck_.” Trembling, Yuuri sank as slowly as he could, Victor’s slick body welcoming him the whole way until he was fully seated inside. It was so warm inside, so slick and tight. The connection was intense and mind-boggling.

Victor’s head fell back, meeting Yuuri’s and his feet came up to wrap around Yuuri as best he could. “Oh my… _Yuu--_!”

“Y-yeah, are you-?”

“Move!” Victor squirmed a little, pinned beneath Yuuri’s weight, wanting more than to have Yuuri just _lay there_. 

“Okay, alright,” Yuuri groaned and resituated himself. 

In doing so, Yuuri’s hand landed on some of Victor’s wayward hair, the weight pulling it painfully in Victor’s scalp. “Ouch!”

“Ah! Gomen!” Yuuri whined, scrambling to move his hand, but then he fell on top of Victor. “Oof!” Their heads cracked together with an awful ‘thud,’ causing them both to cry out in pain, but to giggle at the same time. “Neh, move your- okay, let me-”

“Yuuri, you don’t- wait, that’s not- nngghhh…”

“Hang on, put- no, just- let me- ahhnn…” 

The first several minutes were awkward but amusing, and eventually the couple found their rhythm when Victor decided he wanted to be on his back in order to see what they were doing to each other. His hair fanned out above him with his arms lying on top, each ankle held up and apart by Yuuri’s possessive grip.

Yuuri thought he’d last longer, but he underestimated what a vision Victor would be once they were finally joined as intimately as they could be. Sure Yuuri had seen Victor in similar compromising positions, ignorance of the other’s form did not exist between them, but Victor’s flushed skin, slick with perspiration, his mouth parted grunting and groaning with each of Yuuri’s thrusts was a bit too much for him.

He settled one of Victor’s ankles on his shoulder and reached out to envelope his lover’s cock to encourage him to cum. “Try to cum with me, Vitya,” he grunted and panted, “I- I’m cl-close…” 

“M-me t-too… I didn’t… aahhn… I didn’t know you’d be so beautiful, Yuuri~…” Victor chuffed as one of his hands reached down to meet Yuuri’s wrapped around his cock. “Yuuri~, I- AAHHH!!” 

“Oh god, Vitya!” Everything went white, then kaleidoscope, then his hearing went, a low ringing as it was slow to return. Two more thrusts and Yuuri collapsed onto Victor, smearing cum and sweat between them. Hearts pounding against each other and their breath erratic, Yuuri buried his face in Victor’s neck and searched out his hands. When he found them, fingers immediately laced and grips tightened. 

“Amazing,” Victor murmured, wrapping his legs around Yuuri’s waist, tears of joy spilling down his cheeks. 

A delirious giggle spilled from Yuuri. “Yeah. You really are.”

After a languid shower and the afterglow faded, Victor and Yuuri were faced with what to do with Chad. Remembering when Mari took his clothes from him to burn when he dealt with Sergei, Yuuri suggested they dress in things they wouldn’t care about losing. Just in case. He then went a step further and had Victor pack a change of clothes for the both of them. “Pack as if we’re going to stay the night at a hotel.”

“What about him?” Victor asked, tossing a nod toward the body. An unusual moment of anxiety washing over him causing him to bite a nail.

“I’ll worry about him, you just pack and wait for me out there.”

“But Yuuri, I-” Victor objected, taking steps forward. He wanted to help any way he could.

“Vitenka, the fewer people messing with him the better,” Yuuri assured Victor, placing a kiss to the tip of his nose. “You don’t need to deal with this.”

***

The first thing Yuuri did was go to the closet and pull out the biggest suitcase he could find, then some old towels to line the case. He threw it open next to Chad and before getting to work stuffing him into it, Yuuri noticed and relieved Chad of a rather smart looking gold bracelet and ring. It wasn’t easy work, but luckily Chad wasn’t much larger than Victor and about as slight. Eventually, Yuuri had Chad’s body folded and curled into a fetal position inside the suitcase.

“What about his clothes?” Victor asked, standing in the doorway watching Yuuri.

“We’re gonna burn everything he came here with after we take his cash,” Yuuri said, nonchalantly. 

“Wait, what?”

Yuuri looked up at Victor with curious interest. “Is that the line?”

Victor clasped his hands behind him rubbing the back of his calf with a naked foot and shook his head. “Nn,” he murmured shyly tilting his head down. “He violated our space.”

Yuuri grinned. “That’s my guy.” 

And, once Chad’s clothing had been properly rummaged through, they were thrown on top of the body and zipped up inside. “I didn’t see a phone, I guess he didn’t bring one?” he said more to himself than to Victor going over an invisible check-list. “You got us all packed?” 

Victor nodded as his eyes followed Yuuri to the dresser to watch him dress. “Yeah, but where are we going?”

Tugging a tight tee over his head Yuuri replied, “I’m gonna treat you, my love, to a night at the hotel I work at. It’s pretty swanky. And, the few people I’m close with have been begging to meet you.”

Victor felt his entire body flush and his eyes widened. “Y-you talk about me?”

“Of course, I talk about you. You don’t talk about me?”

“All the time.” Victor elected to not explain why Chad was there in the first place, then suddenly a thought crossed his mind. “Oh! The vodka!” Victor bolted out of the room into the living area and grabbed the bottle and glasses.

Yuuri wheeled the suitcase out to the kitchen and watched Victor thoroughly wash and dry both glasses, and dump what was left of the vodka down the drain, wincing a bit. “I’m sorry, vodka, you’re evidence. And, I’m swearing off you for a while,” he winced, shaking the last little bit of liquid out and stuffing the bottle into the backpack.

Yuuri felt a surge of pride in his boyfriend. “We’re so good together,” he murmured, to himself. Grabbing the food was an afterthought.

“Hm?” Victor asked, looking innocently up at Yuuri as he threw the pack over his shoulder.

“You’re so smart. I hadn’t considered that,” Yuuri praised Victor holding his hand out to him. “C’mon, let’s go.”

***

The hotel Yuuri worked for was relatively new, having been restored from an old 1950’s red-brick building into the trendy and modern hotel it was then. The rooms were sleek and chic with flat-screen TVs and free wifi, the bathroom showers boasting rainfall showerheads. An upgrade could garner one a sitting-area, mini fridge, a separate sitting area, a dining room and an espresso machine. Regardless of room size each guest was provided with full-service which included twenty-four hour room service, nightly turndown service, and laundry service. Attracting a wealthy type of clientele, security was top notch with privacy being of utmost importance. 

Working in housekeeping, Yuuri became close with a lovely couple, the Nishigoris; Yuuko and Takeshi. Takeshi actually worked in security - being all brawn and muscle, it suited him perfectly - while Yuuko actually worked more closely with Yuuri in housekeeping. Yuuri was happy to listen to Yuuko talk about her triplets, Axel, Lutz, and Loop - they were big figure skating fans - while they did laundry or dealt with incinerating soiled, unsalvageable items.

When he had any downtime, Yuuri found himself shooting the breeze with Takeshi in the security room. He wasn’t really supposed to be in there, but honestly, it was just a bunch of monitors overlooking a bunch of boring hallways, both pools - surface level and rooftop - the lobby, restaurant, and parking lot. And, Takeshi got lonely spending all day alone in the security room.

They were probably his closest friends. Keeping in touch with Phichit was sporadic, although regular. It seemed he and Chris were getting along famously in Switzerland. After prom they’d become all but inseparable and when Chris’s folks invited Phichit to vacation with them for the summer, it wasn’t likely he was going to turn down the opportunity. They too were looking to get out of their small town.

It was currently off-season in town, therefore they had their choice of room when they arrived. A relatively decent perk of working there as housekeeping was having access to all the rooms all the time. With this came a need to know what rooms were in fact occupied and in need of service at any given time.

This was made exceptionally easy due to the concierge who was most frequently scheduled at the same time as Yuuri, Minami Kenjirou. Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure what it was about himself that had Minami so enamored with him, but Yuuri was certain that had Minami worked in housekeeping as well, he would be more like a lost puppy following him everywhere.

“Yuuri-kun!” Minami cried brightly when he saw Yuuri and Victor enter later that evening. “We weren’t expecting you tonight! Ah! Is this the infamous Victor?”

Returning Minami’s bright welcome Yuuri smiled and said, “Indeed, this is Victor. Victor, this is Minami Kenjirou.”

Victor blushed as he smiled, tickled that a total stranger to him recognized who he was based on simply being next to Yuuri. “Hi! Nice to meet you, Minami!” Victor said happily reaching out to shake the young man’s hand.

“Please, call me Kenjirou!” Minami insisted, “Yuuri is about the only one who puts my name in proper Japanese order like that.”

Yuuri shrugged. “Habit, Minami-kun,” he said with a smile.

When Yuuri added ‘kun’ to his name, Minami lit up like a holiday tree. “Waaaah! That makes it all worth it, though! Anyway, what brings you around tonight?”

Wrapping a protective arm around Victor’s waist Yuuri replied, “We are in need of a break from our regular lives, Minami-kun. And, it occurred to me that a) Victor has never been here, b) everyone wants to meet him anyway, and c) what better place to reconnect than a swanky hotel? Just something overnight.”

Minami clasped his hands together in pure joy, hearts in his eyes as he brought them to his cheek. “Ooooh, Yuuri, you’re soooo romantic!” he swooned, nearly tipping over.

Slipping his arms through Yuuri’s, Victor cozied up to him with a sultry smile. “He’s the _best_ a guy could ask for,” he said, smooching Yuuri’s cheek gratefully. “Didn’t you say you thought you could get us a suite?” Turning his big blue eyes to Minami, he batted his curtain-esque lashes at him and asked, “Is that possible?” For full effect, Victor dropped his devastating pout as he continued to snuggle up to Yuuri.

“You two are _so cute_! I can’t! I can’t with you!” Minami sighed, shaking his head with a big grin on his face. He turned his attention to the computer screen in front of him, typing furiously at the keyboard. “Oh, I just _can’t_!” he giggled, then hummed, tapping out a few more things. 

“Yoshi!” He looked up at them conspiratorially, shifting his eyes right to left to make sure no one important was around. “I’ve booked you in the Honeymoon Suite!” he whisper cried. “You remind me so much of a newlywed couple, I just couldn’t resist!” 

“Seriously, Kenjirou?” Victor gawked, blinking in disbelief. What power did that pout of his possess?!

“Ah, you should hear the way he talks about you.” Minami smiled, preparing their room keys and the like. “If anyone deserves five-star treatment, it’s you two.” Handing over their keys Minami said, “Now, if there’s anything you need, you know where to find me! Enjoy your stay!”

“Thanks, Minami-kun. You’re a king among princes,” Yuuri told him, grasping Victor’s hand, their one backpack slung over his shoulder. He led them to the elevator and once inside Victor squealed.

Grabbing Yuuri and shaking him playfully, he shrieked, “What do you say about me, Yuuri~? Tell me, tell me, tell me!”

“I mean, whatever it is, it has made an impression on Minami-kun,” he winked at Victor.

“He totally has a crush on you,” Victor said, chuckling, draping himself over Yuuri.

“I don’t think so.”

The elevator door to their private floor opened as Victor laughed out loud. “You are not to be trusted when it comes to this, Yuuri. It took you _ages_ to believe I was actually into you.”

“That’s different,” Yuuri said in defense. “I’d already had my ass handed to me for admitting to liking you.”

“Fair enough, but I’m telling you, he has a crush on you. It’s cute,” Victor said as he followed Yuuri down the short hallway to their room for the night.

“If you say so.”

“I say so.”

When one entered the honeymoon suite they were placed in a foyer with a closet and a short hallway. In a way it framed the view of the city lights quite romantically. The short hallway that flowed into a large sitting area with sensual loveseats, oversized chairs and all the accoutrements was lined with votive candles, rose petals carpeting the path which enticed one to the bedroom. The walls were painted in warm, earthy tones putting one at immediate ease.

Another short hallway greeted them when they entered the bedroom which opened into a small sitting area with another plush and sexy loveseat and matching accoutrements, the same warm and earthy tones pulled through. A pony wall separated it from the sunken bedroom, three short steps leading down.

Directly to the right was a sliding door with abstract frosted glass that led into a lavish bathroom with a double sink vanity, a jetted tub, and separate shower with rainfall showerhead. 

Victor’s mouth dropped when they entered and was met with lit votives and rose petals. He whipped around on Yuuri, mouth still agape. “Yuuri~! How’d you pull this off?!” Not waiting for an answer, Victor continued into the space, taking in his surroundings in awe.

“You know, I’m impressed myself,” Yuuri said, keeping close to Victor. “That must have been what Minami-kun was frantically typing as he was fawning over you. Yuuko-san is quick!”

Victor tossed over his shoulder with a laugh, “He was fawning over _you_ , don’t get it twisted.”

“Ha, okay.”

Victor’s fingers dragged over the tactile fabric of one of the loveseats as he lazily made his way through the room, absorbing everything about it. “Ah, I’d love to spend our real honeymoon in a place like this,” he murmured more to himself than to Yuuri.

“We could probably arrange something like that,” Yuuri whispered, wrapping his arms around Victor’s waist from behind and settling his head between his shoulder blades.

“You really think we could?” Victor asked, a quiet hopeful quiver in his voice.

“Mm, but first, I’ve got to deal with a certain piece of luggage.”

Victor nodded and turned in Yuuri’s arms. “Do you need my help?”

“I need you to enjoy this room to the fullest,” Yuuri told him, nipping Victor’s bottom lip tenderly. “I’m going to go let Yuuko and Takeshi know you’re here so they can come meet you, if you don’t mind? I shouldn’t be long and-”

Victor grinned widely. “Ah, of course, I don’t mind! I’d _love_ to meet friends of yours!”

“Okay then, oh, if you want to enjoy the tub later, it’s better to start filling it now. Those things take forever. I’ll be back in a bit and I’ll send up the Nishigoris.” Yuuri gave Victor a sensual kiss and handed the backpack to Victor. “I’ll be right back.”

“What about the bottle?” Victor wisely asked, clutching the backpack to his chest, a pensive look on his face.

“I work in housekeeping, Vitenka. Just throw it away and I’ll deal with it,” Yuuri said with a wink then disappeared beyond the door.

Victor couldn’t help but squeal and do a little dance before forgetting about the bottle for the time being by dropping the backpack where he stood and rushing into the gorgeous bedroom to jump like a child on the bed. Satisfied the bed was sturdy enough to withstand his antics, Victor fell onto his back, his arms out wide, the biggest, dumbest smile on his face.

“Ah, I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he sighed, dreamily. He closed his eyes and just took it in. Yuuri would do anything for him. It was proof they were meant to be. Delighted and elated, Victor took care of the bottle and tossed it just like Yuuri said and started the water running in the massive tub. Then, he decided to make use of one of the fluffy robes hanging in the bedroom closet.

It wasn’t long after securing the belt that there was a sharp knock to the door. “Ah! The Nishigoris!” he exclaimed, excited to meet Yuuri’s friends. Yuuri didn’t mention them too often when the pair were together, but apparently all he did was tell them about Victor. 

Walking quickly to the door he threw it open and was met by a petite woman with mousy brown hair in a perfectly chaotic ponytail that he was certain took more time to pull together than it looked like it did, wearing what he presumed to be the hotel uniform, and an excited smile that rivaled the one on Victor’s own face. 

Standing next to her was a guy easily a foot taller and reminded Victor a bit of a linebacker with short black hair wearing a security uniform. His smile was broad and welcoming. 

“You must be the Nishigoris!” Victor exclaimed, standing aside to allow them entrance. “Please, come in!”

Once inside and the door closed, Yuuko blurted in awe, “Oh! Yuuri was right, your photos really don’t do you justice. You really do look like you could vanish at any moment, you’re so ethereal.”

Oh gosh, what a compliment. “Oh my, th-that’s-”

“Oh! I’m sorry! That was so forward of me!” Yuuko cried, grasping Victor’s hand and shaking it aggressively. “I’m Yuuko and this is my husband, Takeshi.”

Victor thought he could grow to really like Yuuko, her personality was so warm and inviting. “Ah, no it’s fine! It’s just… I’m surprised to hear how Yuuri talks about me when I’m not around,” he blushed and bit his lip. Suddenly, he felt a little guilty for complaining about Yuuri’s terrible work hours to Chad. “And, it’s wonderful to meet you!” He shook Takeshi’s hand as soon as Yuuko released his.

“Likewise!” Takeshi offered, shaking Victor’s hand just as enthusiastically. “Yuuko is right, though. Every time he shows me a picture of you the first thing he says is ‘this doesn’t do him justice, but-’”

Victor _knew_ he’d really love this couple. His heart-shaped smile covered his entire face as he led them further into the suite. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. Can I get either of you anything? Something from the minibar?”

“Ah, no thank you! We can’t stay long, but when Yuuri found me and let me know you were here, I ran and grabbed Takeshi. I had no idea I was setting this room up for the two of you! I feel so honored now!” Yuuko said, babbling like a brook. “We’ve been dying to meet the man who Yuuri-kun so affectionately refers to as his husband!”

Victor, who was standing in front of a plush chair, plopped right down in it when his knees gave. “He…” swallowing hard, Victor stuttered, “h-he calls me his husband?” Tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. _Oh my Yuuri!_

“I’d almost forgotten your name is Victor,” Takeshi noted with a grin. 

“Well, we have spoken about it, but he’s not eighteen yet,” Victor whispered, shyly. Something about this information had Victor’s heart thumping wildly in his chest. It didn’t seem possible, but Victor fell deeper in love with Yuuri at that moment.

“Well, when you _do_ tie the knot, I hope you’ll invite us!” Yuuko chirped, standing. “But we should really get going! We’ve imposed on you long enough!”

“Oh, you don’t want to wait for Yuuri to get back?” Victor asked, unable to stand due to his legs refusing to work. They were still swooning from ‘husband.’

“Nah, Yuuko said he had to run a quick errand for you, so we won’t keep you,” Takeshi replied, following Yuuko toward the exit.

“It was so wonderful to meet you, Victor! Though, it feels as though we already know you! Even our little girls are fans,” Yuuko told him at the door. “Enjoy your stay!”

***

Yuuri found Yuuko first. The laundry was closer to their room than the security booth. Luckily, Yuuko was in there taking care of a large pile of sheets.

“Yuuri!” Yuuko cried when she saw him come in. “I thought you took tonight off?”

With a smile, Yuuri replied, “I did. It was a split decision, but tonight happened to be a good night to bring Victor by.”

Yuuko, at the time, had a pile of freshly folded sheets in her arms, but when she heard ‘Victor,’ the pile slipped and fell to the ground. Delighted and hopping from foot to foot, she cried, “Victor?! Oh! Where?! Where?!!”

Chuckling, Yuuri told her, “Minami-kun put us in the honeymoon suite. Nice work, by the way.”

“Waaaaah! Thank you!” Yuuko squealed and grabbed Yuuri’s wrist. “Let’s go get Takeshi!”

“Ah, I have to actually take care of something for Vitya,” Yuuri said, standing his ground and rubbing the back of his neck a bit embarrassed.

“Oh! Of course!” Yuuko replied with a happy grin. “He won’t mind?”

“Nah, he’s a people person. It’s difficult not to fall in love with the guy.”

Yuuko squealed again and nodded before she took off to gather Takeshi, leaving Yuuri in the dust. Perfect.

A side effect of hanging out with Takeshi in the security room was learning where all the cameras were and how they all worked. Most of them were stationary and pointed only at the obvious ingresses and egresses of the building. No one cared about the incinerator. There was nary a camera in the vicinity; Yuuri found it interesting this would be the use for such mundane information.

After speaking with Yuuko, Yuuri made his way to their car undetected, which was also parked in a spot left unseen by the camera’s eye. He popped the trunk and pulled out the suitcase that held Chad’s lifeless form. Casually but with purpose, he strolled back into the hotel and went straight to the incinerator room.

He closed the door once inside to keep any possible passersby from becoming too curious, not that anyone should be by at this time of night. Speaking of which, he’d suggest to Victor that he consider calling in or late or something to work so he wouldn’t get too tired. It was already pretty late.

Yuuri threw the incinerator door open first then cracked open the suitcase and took out the clothes, tossing those in first. It took a few minutes to work out how he was going to get the body up and into the pyre, but eventually he was able to get Chad inside. 

All that was left were the towels that otherwise lined the case, which got tossed in on top of the body, some extra debris from the room getting added to ensure no one could make out the shape should they come by. He zipped up the case and exited the way he came.

***

When he got back to the room Yuuri found the candlelight and rose path still lit, the other lights in the room dimmed, helping to accentuate the beauty of the city and elegance of the room. Dutifully, he followed the laid out path that weaved through the sitting room into the bedroom, finding himself in the bathroom with Victor waiting in a bubble bath.

“Hey, you’re back!” Victor’s smile was bright but he seemed a little tired. Tired or not he kept a keen eye on his Yuuri as he stripped down to his birthday suit.

“I wasn’t gone too long, was I?” Yuuri asked, starting the water in the shower. It was habitual and certainly necessary at the moment to shower before joining Victor in the tub.

As Yuuri did so, Victor crossed his arms and leaned over the edge of the tub and watched appreciatively as Yuuri soaped up and cleaned up. “For me you’re always gone too long, but in the real world, nn, maybe twenty minutes?” Victor replied dreamily leaning his head to one side.

Yuuri couldn’t see the way Victor was eyeing him as he rinsed the suds from his body as his back was to him. Nodding he muttered to himself, “That’s not too bad.”

“Nn, no it’s not,” Victor murmured. The last of the suds rolled over Yuuri’s ass and down the back of his powerful thighs and he sighed. “Hurry up and get in here with me, will you?”

Yuuri turned to see Victor’s debauched grin and automatically tensed. “See something you like?” he teased.

“If you don’t get into this tub!”

Yuuri laughed and shut off the shower. “Alright, alright.” He got in and settled against a side. “C’mere, let me hold you,” he requested, holding out his arms to Victor. “I want to make sure you’re alright.”

“Hm?” Willingly, Victor slid between Yuuri’s legs and settled against his chest with his head nestled beneath his chin. “I’m alright, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh, Vitya.” Yuuri let out a heavy sigh. “You’ve been through an awful lot the last several hours, you should be a mess. Which reminds me, I think you should see if you can get another day tomorrow. Or today, rather. I’ll take the day too and we can decompress,” he whispered, nuzzling Victor and wrapping his arms tightly around his future husband.

“Mm, okay,” Victor acquiesced. “I’ll call and leave a message with my manager when we get out.”

“Good,” Yuuri murmured. “Now, do you know how he got to our place? Did he drive?”

“Oh, he probably walked or took a bus,” Victor offered, running his fingers lazily over Yuuri’s kneecaps. “Told me once that he didn’t like to drive.”

“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about a car, but that he didn’t have a phone on him is a little unsettling,” Yuuri said, thoughtfully.

“He probably left it at work,” Victor offered. “He was always leaving that thing behind.”

“Well, that’s good for us if he was also an idiot,” Yuuri snorted, stroking Victor’s head, lovingly.

“He was kind of flighty, but he was always nice to me,” Victor said, solemnly.

“That’s not unusual,” Yuuri hummed. 

“Let’s not talk about him anymore.”

“If that’s what you want.”

The silence stretched so long that Yuuri thought Victor might have fallen asleep, but out of nowhere Victor broke the silence. “What happened with Sergei?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Evenly, Yuuri asked Victor his own question, “That’s what you’d rather talk about?”

“Mm.”

Letting out a melancholy sigh, Yuuri asked one more question, “How much do you want to know?”

“We’re getting married someday, so I want to know everything,” Victor replied, craning his neck to look up at Yuuri. “We’re in this together. Forever.”

Yuuri nodded and hugged Victor closer to his chest. “Well, he was drunker than a skunk, so getting the better of him was easy. He was so unsteady, I almost feel bad for killing him.”

Victor sat up abruptly and twisted around, taking Yuuri’s face in his hands. “Don’t you _ever_ feel bad for doing what was necessary to keep Mama safe! He was awful to her, Yuuri. He-” Shaking his head, Victor stopped himself. “I think you know. You saw it first hand, so don’t you dare.”

Tugging Victor back into his arms, Yuuri agreed. “Okay, okay, get over here already.” 

Victor settled down once more, this time turning his nose into Yuuri’s neck, wanting to feel the vibration of his voice when he spoke. “Mm! Carry on.”

“The first time I met Sergei I threatened to castrate him, but decided to instead get you out of there. And, after you left to help Anna I saw something on the floor-”

“What did you see?”

“Ah,” Yuuri grimaced, but Victor would resent being treated like a child, so he said, “A wooden toy train.”

“A toy train? What would he use a toy train for?”

“Honey, I know you want to know everything, but I don’t think you need to hear **that** right now. Suffice it to say, the one thing Sergei and I had in common - other than you - was apparently an affinity for a particular noir Greenaway film. If you insist, at a later date we can watch it, but let me tell you about Sergei and what I did to him, not the items in the room,” Yuuri said to Victor, calmly and with care.

Curling up in his arms, Victor nodded. “You’re right, go on.”

Yuuri went on to explain that the movie in question was called The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. And, that the part that inspired Yuuri was the end. “I was a little more cruel than Georgina, though,” Yuuri hummed, proud of himself. Victor couldn’t see the fiery, satisfied glimmer in his eyes.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, it’ll spoil the end of the movie you understand,” Yuuri warned him.

“I don’t _care_ , Yuuri~! Tell me!”

“Well, at the end of the movie Georgina has her murdered lover cooked up and forces Albert - that’s her bastard of a husband - to eat Michael’s - that’s her lover - now medium-rare cock,” Yuuri explained to Victor.

“What?! No!” Victor gasped in disgusted but intrigued surprise.

“I had that exact reaction the first several times I saw the film too, anyway, I was inspired, only I served Sergei his own cock sashimi style.”

Victor was quiet for a terrifyingly long amount of time while he processed what that meant. “You fed my father his cock, raw?!”

“It was more like I made him choke on it, but pretty much. Which, now that I think about it is another theme in the film…”

“Where is he?”

“Resting comfortably beneath about a ton of earth and some concrete in Anna’s basement,” Yuuri admitted. He hoped Victor wouldn’t be pissed about where Sergei was buried.

Victor giggled and resituated in Yuuri’s arms. “Oh, Mama would love that. She would find it fitting for such a man who wanted to possess _everything_ but love _nothing_.”

“Mm,” Yuuri sighed relieved and relaxed against the tub encouraging Victor to follow. “That’s good to hear. Now that’s out of the way, what did you think about Yuuko and Takeshi?”

“Oh, Yuuri~! They are _adorable_! She couldn’t be any prettier and he couldn’t be crazier about her!” he sighed happily against his love, his eyes closed and purred. “Plus they told me you call me your husband when showing me off!”

“Well, like you said, you’re gonna be someday,” Yuuri shrugged.

“Photos really don’t do me justice?” Victor asked with innocent awe.

“Oh, Vitenka, no medium would. Marble or bronze, oil or watercolor, nothing can capture your beauty the way you do.” Yuuri spoke only the unadulterated truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Za nashu druzhbu - for our friendship in Russian : a toast
> 
> Chad got what he deserved. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
> 
>   
> Title Inspiration: Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
> 
> That you choose to spend your time with me means a lot to me! Your comments and kudos only encourage my shenanigans! Thank you all so much!

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was an idea that butcher_blues shared in another space that I thought I could do something with. We spoke about it and she was so very kind as to allow me to run with it. I'd been wanting to write something with a little more angst to it, but was falling short on ideas because I have an incredibly difficult time putting Yuuri and Victor into horrible situations. But there was something about the presentation of this to me that opened a valve and this has poured forth.
> 
> This is the story of how Victor and Yuuri become murder husbands.


End file.
